Wisdom Wall

Favourite Quotes

A digital version of the wisdom wall. Films, books, TV, games, and odd scraps of useful thinking. Not everything here is profound. Some of it just works.

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If you're going to do something wrong, do it right.
Zoe Morgan Person of Interest

If something is worth doing at all, half-assing it makes no sense.

tv competence pragmatism humour
Your father lived by a philosophy... a principle really. He believed that if you could do good things for other people, you had a moral obligation to do those things. That's what's at stake here. Not choice. Responsibility.
Uncle Ben The Amazing Spider-Man

I mostly like this because they went through an entire detour just to avoid saying the actual line. - With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

film responsibility morality superheroes
It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.
Peter Gibbons Office Space

A lot of modern work feels disconnected from anything meaningful.

film work cynicism burnout
Your boos mean nothing to me. I've seen what makes you cheer.
Rick Sanchez Rick and Morty

Popularity has very little to do with quality. Crowds validate nonsense constantly.

tv cynicism society independence
No matter how bad things look, they look better awake than asleep.
Jack Starks The Jacket

I’d rather deal with reality directly than hide from it.

film reality suffering awareness
For certain you have to be lost to find the places that can’t be found. Else wise, everyone would know where it was.
Hector Barbossa Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

I like the idea that some things can only be found indirectly. Straight lines don't discover much.

film journey mystery philosophy
Sometimes science is more art than science morty. A lot of people don't get that.
Rick Sanchez Rick and Morty

Most real discovery is messy. Trial, error, intuition, pattern recognition... then people pretend it was obvious afterwards.

tv science experimentation creativity
Following's not really my style.
Tony Stark Iron Man

Blind conformity has never made much sense to me.

film independence individuality confidence
None of you seem to understand... I’m not locked in here with you, you’re locked in here with me.
Rorschach Watchmen

I like the complete reversal of power in this line. The fear changes direction instantly.

comic intimidation defiance
That is why you fail.
Yoda The Empire Strike Back

Directlyt after Luke says that he doesn't believe it... Yoda delivers the truth; no cushioning, no motivational speech... Just the actual reason.

film discipline failure wisdom
Sometimes the best gift, is never seeing you again
Greg House House M.D.

Most of the time I just don't have the time or energy for other people's nonsense.

tv identity psychology human-nature
I sometimes envy the blissful ignorance of those less well-versed in their... shit.
Harry Hart Kingsman: The Secret Service

The more patterns you notice, the harder it becomes to ignore how broken things are.

film intelligence awareness cynicism
When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all.
God Entity Futurama

The best systems usually operate quietly in the background.

tv systems subtlety competence
Eh. I don't need a Robin.
Evil Morty Rick and Morty

This was in response to Rick saying they could be like Batman and Robin. A lot of the time the people who want to be incharge. They just want the status, all while not being all that capable of their position.

tv independence detachment intelligence
It's funny. When you look at someone through rose-colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags.
Wanda Pierce BoJack Horseman

People often ignore reality to protect the version they want to believe.

tv psychology relationships perception
A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it.
Agent K Men in Black

Individuals can think clearly. Crowds usually can't.

film society psychology crowds
You know, it’s funny... when you look at the world rationally, the world looks rational back.
Dr. Manhattan Watchmen

The way you frame reality changes what you notice in it.

film logic perspective philosophy
I don't want to live in a world where someone else makes the world a better place better than we do.
Gavin Belson Silicon Valley

A perfect example of ego disguising itself as idealism.

tv ego tech competition
I don't hate people. I just feel better when they're not around.
Sam Loudermilk Loudermilk

Most of the time solitude is just quieter and simpler.

tv isolation cynicism personality
No, Venti is Twenty. Large is Large, in fact Tall is Large and Grande is spannish for Large. Venti is the only one that doesn't mean Large, it's also the only one that's Italian... Congratulations, you’re stupid in three languages.
Danny Donahue Role Models

Dry sarcasm always lands better than loud comedy.

film sarcasm humour cynicism
A woman who can be bought isn't worth having.
Wilson Fisk Daredevil

Transactional loyalty usually collapses the moment a better offer appears.

tv relationships values power
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.
Tom Waits Quote

Stupidly clever wordplay always sticks in my head.

other wordplay humour cynicism
Nobody panics when things go according to plan. Even if the plan is horrifying.
The Joker The Dark Knight

People normalize dysfunction surprisingly quickly.

film society psychology systems
If you're good at something, never do it for free.
The Joker The Dark Knight

Competence has value whether people like admitting it or not.

film value competence pragmatism
Oooh, ahhh, that's how it always starts. Then later there's running and screaming.
Dr. Ian Malcolm Jurassic Park

Most bad ideas look impressive right before they collapse.

film sarcasm chaos foresight
A woman who can be bought isn't worth having.
Wilson Fisk Daredevil

Transactional loyalty usually collapses the moment a better offer appears.

tv relationships values power
Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
Dr. Ian Malcolm Jurassic Park

Intelligence without restraint creates a lot of modern problems.

film science ethics systems
We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like.
Tyler Durden Fight Club

Still one of the cleanest summaries of modern culture.

film consumerism society cynicism
Men don't follow titles. They follow courage.
William Wallace Braveheart

People respect conviction more than status.

film leadership courage respect
The Almighty tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he's pretty sure you're fucked.
Stephen Braveheart

Completely ridiculous delivery... which is why it works.

film humour chaos fatalism
Bio-digital jazz, man.
Kevin Flynn TRON

I like when technology is framed as something experimental and weird instead of sterile.

film technology chaos humour
Now that's a big door.
Kevin Flynn TRON: Legacy

Dry understatement always lands better than forced reactions. Feels like a joke about overcompensation.

film humour awe technology
The concept of waiting bewilders me. There are always deadlines. There are always ticking clocks.
Mr. Robot Mr. Robot

Most people waste huge portions of their life waiting to feel ready.

tv time urgency systems
This whole time I thought changing the world was something you did... an act you performed, something you fought for. I don't know if that's true anymore.
Mr. Robot Mr. Robot

Changing systems is usually messier and less heroic than people imagine.

tv systems change identity
People who get violent... they usually have something to hide.
Mr. Robot Mr. Robot

Aggression is often insecurity wearing armour.

tv psychology violence truth
Everybody knows the dice are loaded.
Mark Hunter Pump Up the Volume

A lot of systems are biased long before people enter them.

film society systems cynicism
So be it.
Mark Hunter Pump Up the Volume

Sometimes the only real option is accepting the consequences and moving forward anyway.

film acceptance defiance resolve
You are technically correct. The best kind of correct.
Bureaucrat #1 Futurama

One of the funniest observations about systems and rules.

tv logic bureaucracy humour
I choose to believe what I was programmed to believe.
Bender Futurama

Funny because humans do the exact same thing.

tv determinism humour identity
I've done everything the Bible says... even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff!
Ned Flanders The Simpsons

Quietly savage writing.

tv religion contradiction humour
I don't mind if you pee in the shower, but only if you're taking a shower.
Marge Simpson The Simpsons

Very grounded Simpsons energy.

tv domesticity absurdity humour
Worst day of your life so far.
Homer Simpson The Simpsons

One of the most unexpectedly philosophical Simpsons lines.

tv pessimism humour perspective
Oh, everything looks bad if you remember it.
Homer Simpson The Simpsons

Disturbingly applicable to politics.

tv memory denial humour
You know, a town with money is a little like the mule with a spinning wheel. Nobody knows how he got it, and danged if he knows how to use it.
Lyle Lanley The Simpsons

Monorail is one of the sharpest satire episodes they ever made.

tv corruption society manipulation
Am I so out of touch? No. It's the children who are wrong.
Principal Skinner The Simpsons

Became a meme for a reason.

tv denial ego generational
You'll have to speak up, I'm wearing a towel.
Homer Simpson The Simpsons

Pure nonsensical Simpsons dialogue, well it's completely used out of context.

tv absurdity stupidity humour
Alcohol... the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.
Homer Simpson The Simpsons

Probably the most quoted Homer line ever.

tv addiction irony humour
A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.
Jebediah Springfield The Simpsons

Followed by the immortal cromulent exchange.

tv wisdom language character legacy
I don't know why? It's a perfectly cromulent word.
Miss Hoover The Simpsons

One of the greatest fake-word jokes ever created.

tv language absurdity humour
Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand.
Homer Simpson The Simpsons

Accidentally insightful.

tv apathy intelligence humour
We can't bust heads like we used to, but we have our ways. One trick is to tell them stories that don't go anywhere... like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville.
Abe Simpson The Simpsons

Peak rambling old-man energy.

tv aging storytelling absurdity
You can't keep the democrats out of the White House forever. And when they get in, I'm back on the streets... with all my criminal buddies.
Sideshow Bob The Simpsons

Ridiculous bipartisan slander. Very Simpsons.

tv politics satire cynicism
The problem with trying to be the bad guy... is that there’s always someone worse.
John Reese Person of Interest

No matter how ruthless someone thinks they are, there’s usually a deeper level below them.

tv morality power violence
FBI and the army before that, they helped keep me on the straight and narrow path. But now... without that it's all... I'm drowning in deep water and I don't know whether I'm swimming through the surface or the bottom.
Benjamin Poindexter Daredevil

Good description of losing all sense of orientation mentally while still trying to function.

tv psychology identity instability
Feelings are overrated.
Sameen Shaw Person of Interest

Emotion without control tends to distort decision-making.

tv emotion psychology detachment
I’m good at what I do. That’s all.
Sameen Shaw Person of Interest

Competence matters more than performance.

tv competence identity pragmatism
I was built for this.
Sameen Shaw Person of Interest

Some people function better in chaos than normality.

tv competence purpose identity
No one ever listens to me. I talk and talk and no one listens.
Marvin The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Dry pessimism becomes weirdly relatable after enough repetition.

book isolation cynicism humour
Choice is an illusion created between those with power and those without.
Merovingian The Matrix Reloaded

A lot of freedom exists inside invisible constraints.

film power systems control
The price of certainty is the loss of curiosity.
Richard Feynman Quote

People stop learning the moment they become emotionally attached to certainty.

other intelligence curiosity philosophy
You know what's cooler than magic? Mathematics.
Derek Knows The Lost Room

Patterns and systems are more interesting than spectacle.

tv intelligence systems logic
The enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan.
Carl von Clausewitz Quote

Perfectionism wastes more time than imperfection.

other planning pragmatism systems
You can never know everything, but you can know enough.
Isaac Asimov Quote

Useful understanding matters more than total understanding.

other knowledge intelligence realism
The more complicated the order, the easier it is to manipulate.
Grand Admiral Thrawn Star Wars Rebels

Complex systems create blind spots.

tv strategy systems intelligence
That's a good question. I haven't known the answer for a long time. I know who I was. I was the guy who left her behind. You know why? Because I thought she deserved someone better than me. I thought she deserved someone who would look after her, be there for her. I thought she deserved someone like you.
John Reese Person of Interest

One of the few moments Reese fully drops the armour and admits how low his opinion of himself really is.

tv regret identity relationships
Who am I supposed to be now? Now that she's gone. When you find that one person who connects you to the world, you become someone different... someone better. When that person is taken from you, what do you become then?
John Reese Person of Interest

Good description of how certain people become part of your orientation system... and how disorientating it is when they're gone.

tv loss identity connection
Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.
Philip K. Dick Quote

Reality does not care about preference.

other reality truth philosophy
Hell is other people.
Jean-Paul Sartre No Exit

Other people complicate almost everything.

book society psychology isolation
No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.
Voltaire Quote

Collective stupidity spreads accountability thin.

other society responsibility systems
The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.
Albert Camus Quote

Authenticity itself can become resistance.

other freedom rebellion identity
Real loss is only possible when you love something more than you love yourself.
Sean Maguire Good Will Hunting

Attachment creates vulnerability whether people admit it or not.

film love loss psychology
Closure is a made-up thing by Steven Spielberg to sell movie tickets.
Bojack Horseman BoJack Horseman

Most things end messily rather than cleanly.

tv realism psychology life
You know how they say it's been a pleasure? It hasn't.
Russell Edgington True Blood

Dry hostility is usually funnier than fake politeness.

tv sarcasm humour hostility
You know, this is why I don't like talking to people. They always want something.
Sameen Shaw Person of Interest

A lot of social interaction feels transactional.

tv isolation sarcasm psychology
You'd be surprised what people tell you when they think you're dead.
Patrick Jane The Mentalist

People reveal themselves once consequences disappear.

tv psychology observation manipulation
The danger in believing things is that you stop thinking.
Cal Lightman Lie to Me

Certainty tends to shut curiosity off.

tv psychology truth skepticism
Nothing's ever anybody's fault.
Daria Morgendorffer Daria

Modern culture is very good at diffusing accountability.

tv society sarcasm responsibility
I don't break the rules... I bend them a little.
Neal Caffrey White Collar

Most systems require flexibility to function properly.

tv intelligence systems pragmatism
You know what I like about being dead? The freedom.
Root Person of Interest

POI constantly blurred the line between freedom and isolation.

tv freedom identity detachment
I learned everyone is alone. But if someone can make you feel less alone... maybe that's enough.
Root Person of Interest

Connection matters more when isolation feels like the default state.

tv loneliness connection meaning
People choose the paths that grant them the greatest rewards for the least amount of effort.
Greg House House M.D.

Most behaviour becomes predictable once incentives are visible.

tv psychology human-nature realism
I think that if you do something wrong long enough, you forget what right is supposed to look like.
Dexter Morgan Dexter

Repeated behaviour eventually rewires normality.

tv morality psychology identity
The problem with humanity is that we value sentiment over survival.
Sylar Heroes

Cold logic often clashes with emotional morality.

tv survival psychology cynicism
You can never know anyone completely. That's a good thing.
Patrick Jane The Mentalist

People are more layered than the roles they perform.

tv psychology mystery identity
People don't really change. They just find something to hide behind.
Cal Lightman Lie to Me

A lot of personality is just managed presentation.

tv identity deception psychology
Sometimes the only way to stay sane is to go a little crazy.
Daria Morgendorffer Daria

Trying to function in broken systems eventually affects people.

tv sanity society sarcasm
The truth is hard. The truth is ugly. But the truth is still the truth.
Cal Lightman Lie to Me

Reality doesn't become false just because it's uncomfortable.

tv truth psychology realism
Most people don't really want the truth. They want reassurance.
Patrick Jane The Mentalist

People often prefer comfort over accuracy.

tv truth psychology society
You can’t build a good system on top of a broken foundation.
Harold Finch Person of Interest

Most large problems start much lower down than people admit.

tv systems logic structure
Most people live their whole lives inside a story someone else wrote for them.
Mark Hunter Pump Up the Volume

A lot of people inherit their worldview instead of building one.

film identity conformity society
It's amazing what people can justify when they're afraid.
Root Person of Interest

Fear changes moral boundaries very quickly.

tv fear morality society
Everybody wants to be understood. Nobody wants to be analyzed.
Cal Lightman Lie to Me

People like insight right up until it becomes accurate.

tv psychology identity observation
Most people don't listen. They wait for their turn to talk.
Dexter Morgan Dexter

A lot of conversation is performance instead of exchange.

tv communication society psychology
You know what the real problem is? People.
Greg House House M.D.

Most systems work better in theory than in practice because people are involved.

tv society cynicism psychology
Everybody wants a happy ending. Right up until the moment they have to sacrifice something for it.
John Reese Person of Interest

People like outcomes more than process.

tv sacrifice realism morality
The scary thing about people is that they can get used to anything.
Root Person of Interest

Humans normalize dysfunction incredibly fast.

tv society psychology adaptation
You spend enough time pretending and eventually you forget which parts were real.
Dexter Morgan Dexter

Maintaining personas long enough starts distorting identity.

tv identity masking psychology
Most people don't want freedom. They want structure.
Elliot Alderson Mr. Robot

Freedom comes with responsibility most people avoid.

tv systems society control
You can tell what people are afraid of by what they try hardest to control.
Cal Lightman Lie to Me

Control is often disguised insecurity.

tv fear psychology observation
The more complicated people make things, the easier they are to manipulate.
Harold Finch Person of Interest

Complexity creates cover for bad behaviour.

tv systems manipulation intelligence
Once you see the pattern, you can't unsee it.
Sylar Heroes

Pattern recognition permanently changes perception.

tv patterns intelligence psychology