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Listen, Simon. Never forget, just believe in yourself. Not in the Simon that I believe in, not in the Kamina that you believe in. Have faith in the Simon that believes in you.
—Kamina, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
"Gohan, let it go... It is not a sin to fight for the right cause. There is those who words alone will not reach. Cell is such a being. I know how you feel Gohan. You are gentle. You do not like to hurt. I know because I too have learnt these feelings. But it's because your cherish life that you must protect it... Please, drop your restraints. Protect the life I loved. You have the strength, my scanners sensed it. Just... [smiles] let it go."
—Android 16, Dragon Ball Z
Rem: I know... That no matter how deeply you've fallen into darkness, you still have the courage to reach your hand. I love it when you stroke my hair, I feel as if we could understand each other just with your hand and my hair. I love your voice. Just hearing you say one word makes my heart warm. I love your eyes. They look so stern normally but I love how they soften when you show your kinder side. I love your fingers. For a boy, they're so lovely, but when they clench with mine I know they are the strong, slender fingers of a man. I love the way you walk. Whenever we walk together, I love how you turn back to me to make sure I'm keeping up.
Subaru: Stop...
Rem: I love how you look when you sleep. You look like a little baby, and your eyelashes are so long... When I touch your cheek, you calm down, and you don't even notice when I play with your lips. And that makes my heart flutter so hard... I love all of it.
Subaru: But why?!
Rem: When you said that you hate yourself I only wanted to tell you all the wonderful things about you.
Subaru: You're making everything up. You don't know me at all! I know myself better than anyone!
Rem: THE ONLY THING YOU KNOW IS HOW YOU PERCEIVE YOURSELF! How much do YOU know about the Subaru that I see?!
Subaru: Why... Why do you like me so much? I'm weak and small. I'm running away from my problems like I always did! So why!?
Rem: Because... You are my hero, Subaru! In that dark forest, when I completely lost control of myself and couldn't think of anything beyond attacking anything that moves, you saved me. When I woke up, unable to move, and my sister was too tired to use her magic, you went to face the witches on your own to let us escape. You were clearly outmatched and your life was on the line. And yet, you survived and came back to my arms, alive and well. You smiled when you woke up, and you said the words I wanted most to hear, when I wanted to hear them, from who I wanted to hear them! My time was stopped for so long... That horrible night... I lost everything except my sister, and my time was stopped. It was you who melted my frozen heart and allowed me to move forward again! I'm sure you had no idea how much you saved me or how happy you made me that one morning... That's why I believe that no matter what painful things could happen, even when it looks like you're on the verge of giving up... When no one else in the world believes in you, when you don't even believe in yourself... I will believe! That the Subaru who saved me is a true hero.
Subaru: Stop...
Rem: I love how you look when you sleep. You look like a little baby, and your eyelashes are so long... When I touch your cheek, you calm down, and you don't even notice when I play with your lips. And that makes my heart flutter so hard... I love all of it.
Subaru: But why?!
Rem: When you said that you hate yourself I only wanted to tell you all the wonderful things about you.
Subaru: You're making everything up. You don't know me at all! I know myself better than anyone!
Rem: THE ONLY THING YOU KNOW IS HOW YOU PERCEIVE YOURSELF! How much do YOU know about the Subaru that I see?!
Subaru: Why... Why do you like me so much? I'm weak and small. I'm running away from my problems like I always did! So why!?
Rem: Because... You are my hero, Subaru! In that dark forest, when I completely lost control of myself and couldn't think of anything beyond attacking anything that moves, you saved me. When I woke up, unable to move, and my sister was too tired to use her magic, you went to face the witches on your own to let us escape. You were clearly outmatched and your life was on the line. And yet, you survived and came back to my arms, alive and well. You smiled when you woke up, and you said the words I wanted most to hear, when I wanted to hear them, from who I wanted to hear them! My time was stopped for so long... That horrible night... I lost everything except my sister, and my time was stopped. It was you who melted my frozen heart and allowed me to move forward again! I'm sure you had no idea how much you saved me or how happy you made me that one morning... That's why I believe that no matter what painful things could happen, even when it looks like you're on the verge of giving up... When no one else in the world believes in you, when you don't even believe in yourself... I will believe! That the Subaru who saved me is a true hero.
— Re:Zero
Rairi: Say, can I ask you something? Kuro-taso...what made you want to be cuter?
Kuroe: Huh?
Rairi: It'll be easier to pick the right makeup if I know.
Kuroe: Ah...hm...that's true. Um...Ever since I was little, I've had...an illness. The symptoms are visible, so it's become a complex of mine...That's why I'm bad at being social. I can't even be honest with Minami-kun...the person I like. I just end up causing more misunderstandings. I thought that if I had more confidence...I'd be able to tell him how strongly I feel toward him. But today...when he complimented me on that lipstick...my heart felt warm and light...and I felt like I could do anything. It made me realize that confidence...might just be an accumulation of those bright moments...A-and so—! Even if I can't be like you, Rairi-san...I want to give it my best...
Rairi starts crying
Kuroe: Wh-what's wrong!?
Rairi: Sorry...it kinda made me remember the old me...It's okay...you can change, Kuro-taso.
Kuroe: Huh?
Rairi: It'll be easier to pick the right makeup if I know.
Kuroe: Ah...hm...that's true. Um...Ever since I was little, I've had...an illness. The symptoms are visible, so it's become a complex of mine...That's why I'm bad at being social. I can't even be honest with Minami-kun...the person I like. I just end up causing more misunderstandings. I thought that if I had more confidence...I'd be able to tell him how strongly I feel toward him. But today...when he complimented me on that lipstick...my heart felt warm and light...and I felt like I could do anything. It made me realize that confidence...might just be an accumulation of those bright moments...A-and so—! Even if I can't be like you, Rairi-san...I want to give it my best...
Rairi starts crying
Kuroe: Wh-what's wrong!?
Rairi: Sorry...it kinda made me remember the old me...It's okay...you can change, Kuro-taso.
Comic Books
"You're much stronger than you think you are. Trust me."
"I know you think of yourself as a flaw, an imperfection, but you're something more, Zibarro. You're proof that Bizarro-Home is getting smarter. Why else did this world, this incredible organism, make eyes like yours to see beauty and meaning where others see chaos?"
—Superman, All-Star Superman
"Courage. Honor. Loyalty. Sacrifice. You're braver than you think."
—Captain America, Captain America: The Chosen
"You can do this. You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. Sure, our family shield can be a target. But it's also a badge of honor that I know you wear proudly each and every day."
— Superman to Supergirl, The Final Days of Superman
Hellboy: On the way to Alice's place, I ran into a bunch of giants. I could have walked right past them, but I picked a fight. And I got slapped around pretty good, till I got mad. Then I grabbed a piece of broken sword... And I went nuts. I cut them all to pieces... And I loved it. What the hell does that say about me? If swinging that crappy, busted chunk of metal made me lose control like that... What the hell would happen if I had that sword?
Vasilisa: You are so ready to believe all the bad things said about you. Why can't you believe what she believed? Forget armies and saving the world; she knew you. She believed the sword would save you. She believed you were worth saving.
Vasilisa: You are so ready to believe all the bad things said about you. Why can't you believe what she believed? Forget armies and saving the world; she knew you. She believed the sword would save you. She believed you were worth saving.
—Hellboy: The Wild Hunt
Damian: Kara. I'm... not a good person.
Kara: Nonsense.
Damian: You don't know me. You don't know—
Kara: Your grandfather wants to kill millions. Your father is the Batman— evil incarnate as I understand it. Your mother?
Damian: She's an assassin.
Kara: Of course she is. Damian. Your family sounds like pure evil. But I've known you for less than a day, and in that time I've already seen you willing to sacrifice your life for a stranger. You don't have to go back to them.
Kara: Nonsense.
Damian: You don't know me. You don't know—
Kara: Your grandfather wants to kill millions. Your father is the Batman— evil incarnate as I understand it. Your mother?
Damian: She's an assassin.
Kara: Of course she is. Damian. Your family sounds like pure evil. But I've known you for less than a day, and in that time I've already seen you willing to sacrifice your life for a stranger. You don't have to go back to them.
Supergirl: But even if I do go... the Ring... I can't take it off. I'm a Red forever. Without you and the others, how will I — What am I supposed to do?
Guy Gardner: You'll find your way. You're strong, Kara. You didn't choose this life, but I've seen enough in our time together to know that you can make something of it. You're better than all of us.
Guy Gardner: You'll find your way. You're strong, Kara. You didn't choose this life, but I've seen enough in our time together to know that you can make something of it. You're better than all of us.
You know the cliché, Fred. Everyone does. "When you're about to die, your life flashes in front of your eyes." But I've been there, and it's crap... isn't it? You see something, though. You see the holes... the missing bits. And all of the things that would have made your life complete, if you had one more year... a day... a second. I don't know what you saw, Fred, but considering you were in free fall for a solid minute, I bet it was an eyeful. Maybe you are a screw-up. A loser. A drunk. But maybe, the piece you're missing... can make you something better. But only if you go to her, and try. Merry Christmas, Fred. Hope it's a good one.
—Supergirl, DCU Infinite Holiday Special issue #1
Supergirl: Is she right, Kal? Am I "a tarted-up teenager in a short skirt and cape with some to prove"? Am I "not worthy of the legacy of Superman"?
Superman: I think you're more than worthy.
Superman: I think you're more than worthy.
— Supergirl (2005), issue #34
Supergirl: Honestly...? I'm... torn. I remember what Darkseid turned me into —
Superman: ... We've been over this, Kara. Darkseid lives for manipulation. He has magics at his disposal. Hypnotists. Scientists whose only function is to break your spirit. Ask Barda if you want to hear the horror stories she and Scott suffered through. Darkseid IS evil.
Supergirl: But... Did he influence me... or bring out a darkness that is already there?
Superman: I already know that answer.
Superman: ... We've been over this, Kara. Darkseid lives for manipulation. He has magics at his disposal. Hypnotists. Scientists whose only function is to break your spirit. Ask Barda if you want to hear the horror stories she and Scott suffered through. Darkseid IS evil.
Supergirl: But... Did he influence me... or bring out a darkness that is already there?
Superman: I already know that answer.
Superman: I'll handle him. You need to do something else. Brainiac's fired some kind of weapon at the Sun. Kara. Whatever is heading towards the Sun, you need to stop it. If it gets there, it's going to trigger a supernova. And that fire will engulf the Earth.
Supergirl: I-I'm not fast enough.
Superman: Yes, you are.
Supergirl: I can't do it.
Superman: Yes, you can.
Supergirl: I'm scared.
Superman: It's okay to be scared.
Supergirl: I-I'm not fast enough.
Superman: Yes, you are.
Supergirl: I can't do it.
Superman: Yes, you can.
Supergirl: I'm scared.
Superman: It's okay to be scared.
"I know you- I know you aren't the cold-hearted killers you're made out to be. I have lived with you, fought alongside you, and I know you liked being heroes. I know it felt good for you to do the right thing, and that you don't want this. Am I wrong? Abe? Melissa? Erik? Can you honestly tell me I am wrong?"
—Jolt to her teammates, Thunderbolts
Felicity Rose: I don't know...I feel like I don't know anything anymore. I don't know what to do.
Superman: Can I make a suggestion? A friend of mine, many years ago, took her life. She was terminally ill, every day was an agony, and she decided one day that she knew - without question - that she would never have another happy day. And she...well, I guess you could say she checked out early. I understood. I didn't approve, still don't. But I understood. If you honestly believe, in your heart of hearts, that you will never, ever have another happy day...then step out into the air. I'll keep my promise. I won't stop you. But if you think there's a chance - no matter how small - that there might be just one more happy day out there - then take my hand.
Felicity: (steps off the ledge and into Superman's arms)
Superman: It'll be all right. You're safe. You're safe.
Superman: Can I make a suggestion? A friend of mine, many years ago, took her life. She was terminally ill, every day was an agony, and she decided one day that she knew - without question - that she would never have another happy day. And she...well, I guess you could say she checked out early. I understood. I didn't approve, still don't. But I understood. If you honestly believe, in your heart of hearts, that you will never, ever have another happy day...then step out into the air. I'll keep my promise. I won't stop you. But if you think there's a chance - no matter how small - that there might be just one more happy day out there - then take my hand.
Felicity: (steps off the ledge and into Superman's arms)
Superman: It'll be all right. You're safe. You're safe.
Shaman: ...So I left the X-Men and became his student, and after Michael retired, I took up the mantle of Shaman.
Thunderbird: That never happened to me. I suppose it never will.
Shaman: Why? Because you're a "monster?" We're the same person, John. I know what you've thought all your life. We come from a people who have been slaughtered, raped, discarded and forgotten. Then you discovered that you have powers to fight being subjugated to this unknown prison. To help your race. But you feel false. Unworthy to be a champion. And unnatural - a mutant. Our father was a miserable, self-loathing monster who was beat-down by life for so long that all he had left was to take it out on his sons. You took his talk to heart. I know I did. You felt like a monster long before Apocalypse did this to you. It's just taken you further off your path.
Thunderbird: What is my path.
Shaman: That remains to be seen. But you are John Proudstar... and you are a hero.
Thunderbird: That never happened to me. I suppose it never will.
Shaman: Why? Because you're a "monster?" We're the same person, John. I know what you've thought all your life. We come from a people who have been slaughtered, raped, discarded and forgotten. Then you discovered that you have powers to fight being subjugated to this unknown prison. To help your race. But you feel false. Unworthy to be a champion. And unnatural - a mutant. Our father was a miserable, self-loathing monster who was beat-down by life for so long that all he had left was to take it out on his sons. You took his talk to heart. I know I did. You felt like a monster long before Apocalypse did this to you. It's just taken you further off your path.
Thunderbird: What is my path.
Shaman: That remains to be seen. But you are John Proudstar... and you are a hero.
— Exiles #5: Up North And In The Green Part 1
"Well, then go be the hero we always believed you were... even when you found it hard to believe."
"Every day, you give your blood, your tears, your immortal soul... to prove Gorr wrong. The gods may not be worthy, but you are no mere god, my friend. You're Thor. No matter what weapon you hold. No matter what you choose to be called. You will always be Thor."
Rodimus: You know who I've always wanted to be, Orion? I'm talking all my life.
Optimus Prime/Orion Pax: Yes—Rodimus Prime. And I'm sorry, but that makes you a fool. To actively want to be a Prime after the damage wrought by my predecessors...
Rodimus: You're wrong. I never wanted to be "Rodimus Prime". Not deep down. Deep down, I always wanted to be you. The real you—not Orion Pax. All this talk about a corrupt lineage...When you became Optimus Prime—when you assumed the title—the world didn't know the truth about Nova and Nominus and the rest. Back then, being a Prime meant demonstrating—no, actually—embodying certain standards of behavior. It meant decency and integrity and—and morality—and all sorts of things that chancers like me pretend are unfashionable because deep down they scare us. And they scare us because we try to live our lives by them but we can't. Well, guess what? You can. You can and you do—every day. Thanks to you, the word Prime still means decency and integrity and morality. Listen. The world will always need a Prime. But only if that Prime is you.
Optimus Prime/Orion Pax: Yes—Rodimus Prime. And I'm sorry, but that makes you a fool. To actively want to be a Prime after the damage wrought by my predecessors...
Rodimus: You're wrong. I never wanted to be "Rodimus Prime". Not deep down. Deep down, I always wanted to be you. The real you—not Orion Pax. All this talk about a corrupt lineage...When you became Optimus Prime—when you assumed the title—the world didn't know the truth about Nova and Nominus and the rest. Back then, being a Prime meant demonstrating—no, actually—embodying certain standards of behavior. It meant decency and integrity and—and morality—and all sorts of things that chancers like me pretend are unfashionable because deep down they scare us. And they scare us because we try to live our lives by them but we can't. Well, guess what? You can. You can and you do—every day. Thanks to you, the word Prime still means decency and integrity and morality. Listen. The world will always need a Prime. But only if that Prime is you.
Superman: I witnessed your victory over Brainiac with my telescopic vision!
Supergirl: (downcast) Victory my foot! I let him get away right under my nose!
Superman: Stop with the self-reproach bit! You dealt him one of the most humiliating defeats of his crooked career!
Supergirl: (downcast) Victory my foot! I let him get away right under my nose!
Superman: Stop with the self-reproach bit! You dealt him one of the most humiliating defeats of his crooked career!
"All of you, wait! If there is any true part of me within you, let it hear me! Fight your rage. Fight your pain. This is not who you— who we— are. There is always a way out. There is hope. I want to help you! Will you let me?"
— Supergirl, The Killers of Krypton
You're only human. You are still human, Boston. Don't be ashamed in it; rejoice in it. Because it means your spirit — as flawed or selfish as our spirits can sometimes be — is still alive.
Eddie. No. Eddie, Please Listen...This isn't you. You're not a killer. What they did to you—what Clock King said to you... None of it's true. You're not a monster. You're not alone. You're not unloved. You're a sweet boy who had a dream to be a superhero sidekick and got to live that dream. You're thoughtful, funny and earnest. You're a Teen Titan, Eddie. You're a good guy.
— M'gann to Kid Devil, Teen Titans
Look — Eggman took over your old village, and Tundra rolled over. Eggman took over Mobotropolis, and you fought back. Your dad gave up and became a crony. You resisted and became a Freedom Fighter. I know it hurts 'cause he's your dad. But you're ten times the man he is. Don't let him drag you down.
—Sonic to Rotor, Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics)
Fan Works
Asuka: ... I... couldn't do it...
Shinji: I won't let you.
Asuka: That's not it... I had been in this room for five hours before you got home... trying finding a way to do it.
Shinji:!
Asuka: But... I just couldn't do it! Seriously- I'm a failure at everything! When all I had to do was the pull the trigger and my suffering- everyone's suffering- would be over... Even then I couldn't do it! How weak can one get?
Shinji: Asuka... What do you mean weak? Is that weak to you? You are the one who taught me that all living creatures have an instinctive need to survive and protect themselves... You're the one who taught me how important that was...
Asuka: Pretty words. I don't need such bullshit anymore!
Shinji: Don't you see what's going on? Why you couldn't pull the trigger? It's not because you are weak but because you are strong! It makes perfect sense! Your very life is the biggest, most important piece of who you are! It's the foundation of everything that is Asuka. All the other stuff- ambition, charisma, loves, hates- That's all just stuff that grows out of the basic foundation of who you are... And you've been fighting to hang on to that, Asuka! Today, you walked into this room to kill yourself. But whether you realize it or not... There's a side of you that just refuses giving that up! And it's the biggest part of you... The hardest thing to hold on to. You're probably the only person I've ever known who had the courage not to kill themselves after going through what you've been through.
Shinji: I won't let you.
Asuka: That's not it... I had been in this room for five hours before you got home... trying finding a way to do it.
Shinji:!
Asuka: But... I just couldn't do it! Seriously- I'm a failure at everything! When all I had to do was the pull the trigger and my suffering- everyone's suffering- would be over... Even then I couldn't do it! How weak can one get?
Shinji: Asuka... What do you mean weak? Is that weak to you? You are the one who taught me that all living creatures have an instinctive need to survive and protect themselves... You're the one who taught me how important that was...
Asuka: Pretty words. I don't need such bullshit anymore!
Shinji: Don't you see what's going on? Why you couldn't pull the trigger? It's not because you are weak but because you are strong! It makes perfect sense! Your very life is the biggest, most important piece of who you are! It's the foundation of everything that is Asuka. All the other stuff- ambition, charisma, loves, hates- That's all just stuff that grows out of the basic foundation of who you are... And you've been fighting to hang on to that, Asuka! Today, you walked into this room to kill yourself. But whether you realize it or not... There's a side of you that just refuses giving that up! And it's the biggest part of you... The hardest thing to hold on to. You're probably the only person I've ever known who had the courage not to kill themselves after going through what you've been through.
Asuka: 'You're just like me', [...] But... not this time. I know you never wanted to be a Pilot, or even heard of it at all before you arrived here... but being a Pilot has been my entire life since I was four years old. What's left of me if you take that away?
Shinji: You're still the stunningly beautiful girl I'm in love with, the brilliant genius who finished a college degree before she was 14, and the fearless warrior who defeated alien monsters out of nightmare time after time, [...] My father, [...] Can't take any of that away from you. There's a lot more to you than just being a Pilot, Asuka. Even without that, you're still the most vibrant, alive, wonderful person I know. And we've still got each other. 'Together, forever and always,' I promised you. Nothing says we have to be Eva Pilots for that.
Shinji: You're still the stunningly beautiful girl I'm in love with, the brilliant genius who finished a college degree before she was 14, and the fearless warrior who defeated alien monsters out of nightmare time after time, [...] My father, [...] Can't take any of that away from you. There's a lot more to you than just being a Pilot, Asuka. Even without that, you're still the most vibrant, alive, wonderful person I know. And we've still got each other. 'Together, forever and always,' I promised you. Nothing says we have to be Eva Pilots for that.
Ching: Deep down, the worst part of your heart hates yourself. The loss of your mother hit you when you weren’t even four, and deep inside you concluded that if your mother doesn’t want you, you must be a terrible person not deserving of love. You hate yourself for being unlovable, and you keep everyone away from your heart because you are utterly convinced that if anyone knew the ‘real you’ they’d agree you’re as repulsive as you’re convinced you are and leave you. You hate yourself for betraying yourself by giving up, both for wanting to die with your mother but still living. You hate yourself for failing as a Pilot, letting Shinji and even Ayanami surpass you towards the end of the war. You hate yourself for ever having gone to Winthrop, selling out another piece of your soul to keep on living. You hate yourself so much it made me weep last night, Asuka. Sweet Lord and Lady, I wish you’d let me or someone hug you.
Asuka (glaring silently): ...
Ching: You have to forgive yourself, Asuka. You are not unlovable. You are brilliant, strong, fierce, you fought with your friends against terrible odds to protect your whole world...You’re a hero, Asuka. [...] You’re not unlovable. And I’m going to show you proof.
Asuka (glaring silently): ...
Ching: You have to forgive yourself, Asuka. You are not unlovable. You are brilliant, strong, fierce, you fought with your friends against terrible odds to protect your whole world...You’re a hero, Asuka. [...] You’re not unlovable. And I’m going to show you proof.
— A Crown of Stars, Chapter 16
"I rejected you. Even at that price. The whole of humanity’s survival wasn’t enough to overcome my pride." Asuka’s voice was as dry as ash. "I’d rather see everyone lost than unbend enough to help even someone as low as you. ...so why are you still here? I’m terrible. I sold myself to Winthrop rather than talk to you. Why... why are you still looking at me? I’ve never given you anything. Your whole life would be better without me. Why do you keep coming back? Why are you still looking at me?" When Shinji raised his head again, it was her this time that couldn’t meet his gaze. He could see her starting to shake. "I’m filthy. I call you stupid and yell at you for trying to protect people. I hurt you without even thinking. Why did you hold me? Why did you call me beautiful? Why did you... kiss me?" Her eyes snapped back to his. "Tell me why," she said, her voice barely audible.
"You... you're not terrible, Asuka. I called you beautiful because... because you are. I spent I don’t know how long after I woke up just staring at your smile, because it was the most wonderful thing I’ve seen in years. I held you because I felt more... happy, more alive when I did it than any other time in my life. I kissed you because..." He closed his eyes to pen in the tears that threatened to escape. ‘Because I’ve wanted to for years. Because I dream about it all the time. Because a world without you lacks any other meaning for me. Because I think I love you. Say something, Ikari!’ "Because I thought I was dreaming a good dream, and I wanted to make you happy. I know I was awake now...and I would still do it again."
"You... you're not terrible, Asuka. I called you beautiful because... because you are. I spent I don’t know how long after I woke up just staring at your smile, because it was the most wonderful thing I’ve seen in years. I held you because I felt more... happy, more alive when I did it than any other time in my life. I kissed you because..." He closed his eyes to pen in the tears that threatened to escape. ‘Because I’ve wanted to for years. Because I dream about it all the time. Because a world without you lacks any other meaning for me. Because I think I love you. Say something, Ikari!’ "Because I thought I was dreaming a good dream, and I wanted to make you happy. I know I was awake now...and I would still do it again."
— A Crown of Stars, Chapter 25
Ritsuko: If you knew the things I mean… I'm a horrible, horrible person.
Shinji: You may have done something wrong, but you're still a human being, and there is good in you. I can see it, even if you can't.
Ritsuko: Bullshit, [...] Get out, I don't want to hear this. I told you, if you knew half of what I've done, you'd want to kill me yourself.
Shinji: That's not true.
Ritsuko: I'm scum. I deserve everything Gendo does to me and more.
Shinji: You're better than you think you are.
Shinji: You may have done something wrong, but you're still a human being, and there is good in you. I can see it, even if you can't.
Ritsuko: Bullshit, [...] Get out, I don't want to hear this. I told you, if you knew half of what I've done, you'd want to kill me yourself.
Shinji: That's not true.
Ritsuko: I'm scum. I deserve everything Gendo does to me and more.
Shinji: You're better than you think you are.
— Last Child of Krypton Redux, Chapter 8
Asuka: D-don't, [...] D-d-don't you like me?
Shinji: I do, [...] You're the bravest person I know. You're smart and talented and kinder than you think you are.
Shinji: I do, [...] You're the bravest person I know. You're smart and talented and kinder than you think you are.
— Last Child of Krypton Redux, Chapter 9
Hikari: Come on, Asuka. Everything can't be so bad. You have to believe that things will work out. You'll go back to pilot your Eva. Maybe have a talk with Shinji.
Asuka: It's... I'm used to it. I deserve it.
Hikari: No, Asuka…
Asuka: That day … that day I got in the Eva, the Angel showed me what I was like. It made me realize … that I deserved it.
Hikari: Nobody deserves to be hurt like that.
Asuka: It's... I'm used to it. I deserve it.
Hikari: No, Asuka…
Asuka: That day … that day I got in the Eva, the Angel showed me what I was like. It made me realize … that I deserved it.
Hikari: Nobody deserves to be hurt like that.
So don't give a damn about those armchair Generals second guessing you either Asuka. You're a hell of a pilot - today was the toughest battle we've ever been in and you handled yourself incredibly well. Regardless of our motives going into this, you rose to the challenge today. I'm proud of you - and Rei of course.
—Misato, Once More with Feeling
Asuka: You… you only pretend to be a kid. You're stronger than me.
Shinji: Alright, no more of this morose bullshit Asuka. Do you want to know why I'm always so damned strong? Because when I was four, my mother died and my father just fucking abandoned me. The day after the worst day of my life, he just said, 'Fuck you son, your mother's dead now so I'm not going to bother acting like a man, I'm just going to send you on your merry way'. After that, I had a choice: break or become stronger than the fuck head that did that to me.
Asuka: So you got stronger.
Shinji: No, I broke! I was four! The age of four isn't categorized by robust emotional strength, it's categorized by insecurities and crying. You were the one who decided to get strong, not me.
Shinji: Alright, no more of this morose bullshit Asuka. Do you want to know why I'm always so damned strong? Because when I was four, my mother died and my father just fucking abandoned me. The day after the worst day of my life, he just said, 'Fuck you son, your mother's dead now so I'm not going to bother acting like a man, I'm just going to send you on your merry way'. After that, I had a choice: break or become stronger than the fuck head that did that to me.
Asuka: So you got stronger.
Shinji: No, I broke! I was four! The age of four isn't categorized by robust emotional strength, it's categorized by insecurities and crying. You were the one who decided to get strong, not me.
"Taylor… I…" Emma gulped, and looked straight at her. "I don't want to ever feel like that anymore. I… I want to be strong… I can't—"
"You ARE strong!" Taylor's voice rang loud and clear. Emma's mouth closed as Taylor moved past Sophia and towards her. "Emma… if you hadn't been there for me when dad died, I'd… I would be here now."
Her friend's gaze fell, and Taylor stopped. "… Somebody can be another person's strength." She whipped around and pointed to the interloper. "There is NOTHING wrong with helping others when they are down! And in FACT…" She slowly grinned. "… I'm going to demonstrate it to you."
"You ARE strong!" Taylor's voice rang loud and clear. Emma's mouth closed as Taylor moved past Sophia and towards her. "Emma… if you hadn't been there for me when dad died, I'd… I would be here now."
Her friend's gaze fell, and Taylor stopped. "… Somebody can be another person's strength." She whipped around and pointed to the interloper. "There is NOTHING wrong with helping others when they are down! And in FACT…" She slowly grinned. "… I'm going to demonstrate it to you."
Gumball: Of course you've done a lot, Teri! You've done so much for me in the past month: you've managed to pull me out of a depression that has been plaguing me for three months (although I still have some issues to settle.), you've helped me fight the Nephilim by making sure that I can keep up with them, I have been saved by you on many different occasions, you took down Toxic Pill's shield all on your own, your second plan succeeded in defeating Concretin, and you're really smart and observant. You're awesome Teri and if it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't be here to say these things.
Kara: I guess Jasmine is the broken tooth. But I failed, Daddy.
Zor-El: You did not fail! You got beaten. The only way you fail is if you let this beat you. Kara, life is a lot tougher than some wrestling match. And you're old enough now that I shouldn't have to be doing this. So what next? Do you want to get back in that ring?
Kara: (hesitating) I'm scared of her.
Zor-El: I didn't ask if you were scared of her. Do you want to get back in that ring and get back at her? Say it, Kara. I won't say it for you. Do you want to get back in the ring?
Kara: Yes! Yes, yes, yes, I do! I want to get back at her and show her up and get that stupid belt back, and then give it up. That's what I want, Daddy. That's what I want. But how do I do it? How... do... I...
Allura: With our help, honey. That's how you do it. With both of us by your side, all the way. But most of all, with you on your side. Are you ready to start facing life, instead of just making right turns to it?
Kara: I guess so. Yes.
Zor-El: Say it again. Yes, what?
Kara: Yes, I'm ready to face up to life. (pause) It's going to be hard, Daddy.
Zor-El: It always is, Karaish.
Kara: You really think I can do this thing?
Zor-El: Do you think you can do it?
Kara: I really think I can tr—
Zor-El: Stop it! (Covering her mouth) Now, I'm going to let you repeat the first part of that sentence. If you say the wrong thing, this hand is going over that mouth again. Now what?
Kara: I really think I can.
Zor-El: (smiling) I really know you can. But you have to face up to her. And I can't do that for you.
Zor-El: You did not fail! You got beaten. The only way you fail is if you let this beat you. Kara, life is a lot tougher than some wrestling match. And you're old enough now that I shouldn't have to be doing this. So what next? Do you want to get back in that ring?
Kara: (hesitating) I'm scared of her.
Zor-El: I didn't ask if you were scared of her. Do you want to get back in that ring and get back at her? Say it, Kara. I won't say it for you. Do you want to get back in the ring?
Kara: Yes! Yes, yes, yes, I do! I want to get back at her and show her up and get that stupid belt back, and then give it up. That's what I want, Daddy. That's what I want. But how do I do it? How... do... I...
Allura: With our help, honey. That's how you do it. With both of us by your side, all the way. But most of all, with you on your side. Are you ready to start facing life, instead of just making right turns to it?
Kara: I guess so. Yes.
Zor-El: Say it again. Yes, what?
Kara: Yes, I'm ready to face up to life. (pause) It's going to be hard, Daddy.
Zor-El: It always is, Karaish.
Kara: You really think I can do this thing?
Zor-El: Do you think you can do it?
Kara: I really think I can tr—
Zor-El: Stop it! (Covering her mouth) Now, I'm going to let you repeat the first part of that sentence. If you say the wrong thing, this hand is going over that mouth again. Now what?
Kara: I really think I can.
Zor-El: (smiling) I really know you can. But you have to face up to her. And I can't do that for you.
Rikku: Before coming to Chaldea, I had always assumed that when push came to shove, I'd be a hypocrite, unable to follow through with what I believed... But now? Now I know that I'm the kind of monster who could follow through with such a cruel and unjust act.
Kojirou: ...I see. So, you have arrived at the dilemma that many reluctant soldiers have chosen to ignore. Being a ronin to whom killing was a daily occurrence and therefore nothing to concern myself with, I have no right to judge the morality of your actions and beliefs. However, if you were truly the monster you claimed to be, you would not be agonizing over this.
Rikku: But how could Mash ever learn about "humanity" from someone who could callously decide the world would be better off if someone was dead?
Siegfried: While it may be true that you're not a "good" person, it's also true that you're not "evil." Neither good nor evil, lawful nor chaotic, you are an ordinary human who's been burdened with extraordinary responsibilities. I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but I had also noticed you were exhibiting signs of excessive stress. But I assure you, you are far less of a "monster" than "heroes" like me. If ever I had to select someone to be an example of what it means to be human, it would be someone like you. Someone who keeps moving forward, shoulder the burden of hardships all the while. After all, isn't that what it means to be alive?
Kojirou: ...I see. So, you have arrived at the dilemma that many reluctant soldiers have chosen to ignore. Being a ronin to whom killing was a daily occurrence and therefore nothing to concern myself with, I have no right to judge the morality of your actions and beliefs. However, if you were truly the monster you claimed to be, you would not be agonizing over this.
Rikku: But how could Mash ever learn about "humanity" from someone who could callously decide the world would be better off if someone was dead?
Siegfried: While it may be true that you're not a "good" person, it's also true that you're not "evil." Neither good nor evil, lawful nor chaotic, you are an ordinary human who's been burdened with extraordinary responsibilities. I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but I had also noticed you were exhibiting signs of excessive stress. But I assure you, you are far less of a "monster" than "heroes" like me. If ever I had to select someone to be an example of what it means to be human, it would be someone like you. Someone who keeps moving forward, shoulder the burden of hardships all the while. After all, isn't that what it means to be alive?
Rikku: I was afraid that, if you got too close, you'd find out about the real "me." I was afraid that you'd hate me for it. And... I don't think I could bare it if you hated me...
Mash: ...Ever since we first met, you've treated me with kindness, while pushing me beyond my limits. You believed in me, even when I couldn't believe in myself. You encourage Servants to follow their heart, while taking responsibility for their actions. You have taken the actions you deemed necessary without hesitation, usually with the purpose of saving as many lives as possible. You push yourself beyond what most people would consider possible. You've nearly died, on multiple occasions, all in pursuit of a simple, harmless wish. (blushes) But before any of that, you held the hand of a clueless girl as she laid dying in a sea of fire, despite knowing you would die if you did so... Just because she asked you to. How could I possibly hate you?
Mash: ...Ever since we first met, you've treated me with kindness, while pushing me beyond my limits. You believed in me, even when I couldn't believe in myself. You encourage Servants to follow their heart, while taking responsibility for their actions. You have taken the actions you deemed necessary without hesitation, usually with the purpose of saving as many lives as possible. You push yourself beyond what most people would consider possible. You've nearly died, on multiple occasions, all in pursuit of a simple, harmless wish. (blushes) But before any of that, you held the hand of a clueless girl as she laid dying in a sea of fire, despite knowing you would die if you did so... Just because she asked you to. How could I possibly hate you?
"I'm only going to say this once, so listen up: you are Asuka Langley Sohryu. You're the greatest Evangelion pilot who's ever lived. You're the smartest person I've ever met, and honestly I think you can do whatever the hell you want to if you set your mind to it. Anything. You're just having a rough time, and you think you can't talk to me about it, which is ridiculous. Do you think I don't feel those things, too? We're in this together, Asuka, you're probably my best friend in the world, and if we can't count on each other then I really don't know what… And come on, Asuka. Don't say things like 'no one would notice'. I would notice. I'd notice every day for the rest of my life, and you know damn well I would. I'd miss the hell out of you… So don't say things like that. And don't do this shit again. You're better than this."
— Shinji, Futures Freak Me Out
"I want to - I want to help people, someday", the girl said. "Be a good - person." She stared at her shoes.
Amy just kind of stared, until I touched her with my elbow. "That's, that's a good aim", she stammered. "But I'm not really -"
"You healed more than a hundred people who'd have otherwise died just the past month." The girl said, for the first time looking into Amy's eyes, who looked horribly uncomfortable with the hero-worship - though it didn't quite sound like that, when the girl said it, more like fact than admiration.
"I guess so", Amy said.
"You're an awesome person."
Amy just kind of stared, until I touched her with my elbow. "That's, that's a good aim", she stammered. "But I'm not really -"
"You healed more than a hundred people who'd have otherwise died just the past month." The girl said, for the first time looking into Amy's eyes, who looked horribly uncomfortable with the hero-worship - though it didn't quite sound like that, when the girl said it, more like fact than admiration.
"I guess so", Amy said.
"You're an awesome person."
— Learning To Be Human, Riley/Bonesaw meets Panacea.
"It's hard to make those feelings go away forever. But you can't give up. You're much stronger than the little monsters in your head telling you you aren't good enough."
"I don’t need two Luisas, or two Antonios, or two Julietas. You're my baby, my first son, the first grandson. I wouldn’t replace you with anyone. You're absolutely perfect as you are, Gift or no Gift, and I love everything about you. Your sweet smile, your soft curls, your dedication to cheering up everyone you can. I even used to count your freckles when you were small."
"I was picturing someone who thought with his ax, acted like he thought Bragi would show up at any minute to compose his personal saga, and would use me as a bed toy!
Instead, I ended up with you.
You, who composed welcoming poetry for me. Who would take time to just show me the book that you'd been working on! Who would ask me how my day was, and made sure that I was comfortable and introduced around to everyone. You, who, even when you caught me in the act of betraying you, literally let me rip open your arms with my bare hands rather than hurt me!
So, no, the gods didn't make a mistake, and I don't want to hear you selling yourself short like that again!"
Instead, I ended up with you.
You, who composed welcoming poetry for me. Who would take time to just show me the book that you'd been working on! Who would ask me how my day was, and made sure that I was comfortable and introduced around to everyone. You, who, even when you caught me in the act of betraying you, literally let me rip open your arms with my bare hands rather than hurt me!
So, no, the gods didn't make a mistake, and I don't want to hear you selling yourself short like that again!"
—Heather to Fishlegs, A Thing of Vikings Chapter 40
Film — Animated
"Terry... I've been thinking about something you once told me, and you were wrong. It's not Batman that makes you worthwhile, it's the other way around. Never tell yourself anything different."
— Bruce Wayne, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Hiccup: Why couldn't I have killed that dragon when I found him in the woods? Would've been better, for everyone...
Astrid: Yep. The rest of us would have done it. So why didn't you? (pauses) Why didn't you?
Hiccup: I don't know... I couldn't.
Astrid: That's not an answer.
Hiccup: Why is this so important to you all of a sudden?
Astrid: Because I want to remember what you say. Right. Now.
Hiccup: Oh, for the love of... I was a coward! I was weak! I wouldn't kill a dragon!
Astrid: You said "wouldn't" that time.
Hiccup: Agh, whatever... I wouldn't! Three hundred years, and I'm the first Viking who wouldn't kill a dragon!
Astrid: First to ride one, though.
Astrid: Yep. The rest of us would have done it. So why didn't you? (pauses) Why didn't you?
Hiccup: I don't know... I couldn't.
Astrid: That's not an answer.
Hiccup: Why is this so important to you all of a sudden?
Astrid: Because I want to remember what you say. Right. Now.
Hiccup: Oh, for the love of... I was a coward! I was weak! I wouldn't kill a dragon!
Astrid: You said "wouldn't" that time.
Hiccup: Agh, whatever... I wouldn't! Three hundred years, and I'm the first Viking who wouldn't kill a dragon!
Astrid: First to ride one, though.
"You... don't have to be... the bad guy. You are the most talented, most interesting, and most extraordinary person in the universe. And you are capable of amazing things. Because you are the Special. And so am I. And so is everyone. The prophecy is made up, but it's also true. It's about all of us. Right now, it's about you. And you... still... can change everything."
— Emmet Brickowski to Lord Business, The LEGO Movie
Sam: You'd think I would have learned my lesson by now. To just lay down for once, stop trying so hard, stop sweating, like you said.
Bob: I should never have said that.
Sam: It's true. Even here in the luckiest place in the universe, I still found a way to screw it all up. And that's how I know.
Bob: Know what?
Sam: That it's not my bad luck that's the problem. It's just me. And there's no amount of good luck that can ever fix it.
Bob: I don't believe that.
Sam: Well, you should! Not only did I doom Hazel, and you, and...and everyone else to a life of bad luck, but now I can't get back to her. I'm just another adult who broke another promise. The kind that leaves and doesn't stick. I swear, she'd be better off if she never met me.
Bob: Well, I wouldn't be better off. You're not bad, Sam. You're the opposite of bad. Like some kind of pure goodness I didn't think was possible for a human. Your first instinct is to share, like the tasty meat bread. Or to help, even if helping might stop you from getting what you want the most. And what's crazier is what you want the most isn't even for you. You want good things for others in a way that I can't comprehend, and you'll endure the worst bad luck ever to make it happen. I was wrong to ever tell you not to try, because every time you do you make things better. And that's how I know.
Sam: Know what?
Bob: That your friend Hazel doesn't need good luck. She's already the luckiest girl in the world 'cause she has you. You said you wanted to do something good with your life. You already have.
Sulley: Mike, I don't know a single scarer who can do what you do! I know, everyone sees us together, they think I'm the one running the show, but the truth is I've been riding your coattails since day one! You made the deal with Hardscrabble! You took a hopeless team and made them champions! All I did was catch a pig!
Mike: Technically, I caught the pig.
Sulley: Exactly! And you think you're just "okay"?! You pulled off the biggest scare this school has ever seen!
Mike: That wasn't me!
Sulley: That was you! You think I could have done that without you? I didn't even bring a pencil on the first day of school! Mike, you're not scary. Not even a little. But you are fearless.
"Your story may not have had such a happy beginning, but that doesn't make you who you are. It is the rest of the story. Who you choose to be."
—The Soothsayer, Kung Fu Panda 2
Mufasa: Simba...
Simba: Father?
(Simba looks at the sky and sees the clouds form the shape of his father)
Mufasa: Simba, you have forgotten me.
Simba: No, how could I?
Mufasa: You have forgotten who you are, and so, forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the Circle of Life.
Simba: How can I go back? I'm not who I used to be...
Mufasa: Remember who you are: You are my son, and the one true king. Remember who you are...
(Mufasa's image begins fading)
Simba: No, wait! Stop! Come back! Father!
Mufasa: (repeating) Remember...
Simba: (forlorn) Don't leave me...
Ballister: What if they still hate me?
Goldenloin: No one hates a hero of the realm. They're gonna love you. Like I do.
Goldenloin: No one hates a hero of the realm. They're gonna love you. Like I do.
Charlie Brown: Before you leave, there's something I really need to know. Why, out of all the kids in our class, would you want to be partners with me?
Little Red-Haired Girl: That's easy. It's because I admire the type of person you are.
Charlie Brown: An insecure, wishy-washy failure?
Little Red-Haired Girl: That's not who you are at all. You showed compassion for your sister at the talent show. Honesty at the assembly. And at the dance, you were brave yet funny. And what you did for me, doing the book report while I was away, was so sweet of you.
Little John: Look, why don't you stop moonin' and mopin'' around. Just... Just marry the girl.
Robin Hood: Marry her? You don't just walk up to a girl, hand her a bouquet, and say "Hey, remember me? We were kids together. Will you marry me?" No, it just isn't done that way.
Little John: Aw, come on, Robbie. Climb the castle walls, sweep her off her feet, carry her off in style.
Robin Hood: (sigh) It's no use, Johnny. I thought it all up. It just wouldn't work. Besides, what have I got to offer her?
Little John: Well, for one thing, you can't cook.
Robin Hood: I'm serious, Johnny, she's a highball lady of quality!
Little John: So, she's got class. So what?
Robin Hood: I'm an outlaw, that's what! That's no life for a lovely lady, always on the run. What kind of a future is that?
Friar Tuck: Oh, for heaven's sake, son. You're no outlaw. Why, someday, you'll be called a great hero!
Ham I: Believe in yourself, Ham.
Ham III: Grandpa Ham, I can't do this. I'm not you.
Ham I: Well, of course you're not me. You're you. You can do things, son. Just do them your way.
Ham III: Grandpa Ham, I can't do this. I'm not you.
Ham I: Well, of course you're not me. You're you. You can do things, son. Just do them your way.
Mr. Conductor: Thomas, will you please take Lily?
Thomas: Through the buffers? But what if I go on the railway and my wheels don't work?
Mr. Conductor: But what if they do?
Thomas: But what if... if...
Mr. Conductor: Yes?
Thomas: What if it's dark?
Mr. Conductor: It will be for a while.
Thomas: And cold?
Mr. Conductor: Maybe.
Thomas: And how will I get back again?
Mr. Conductor: Because you're a really useful engine and will find a way.
Thomas: (Beat) Then... I'll try!
Thomas: Through the buffers? But what if I go on the railway and my wheels don't work?
Mr. Conductor: But what if they do?
Thomas: But what if... if...
Mr. Conductor: Yes?
Thomas: What if it's dark?
Mr. Conductor: It will be for a while.
Thomas: And cold?
Mr. Conductor: Maybe.
Thomas: And how will I get back again?
Mr. Conductor: Because you're a really useful engine and will find a way.
Thomas: (Beat) Then... I'll try!
Woody: Over in that house is a kid who thinks you are the greatest. And it's not because you're a Space Ranger, pal. It's because you're a toy. You are his toy.
Buzz: But why would Andy want me?
Woody: Why would Andy want you? Look at you! You're a Buzz Lightyear! Any other toy would give up its moving parts just to be you! You've got wings! You glow in the dark! You talk! Your helmet does that... that... that "whoosh" thing! You are a cool toy!
Buzz: But why would Andy want me?
Woody: Why would Andy want you? Look at you! You're a Buzz Lightyear! Any other toy would give up its moving parts just to be you! You've got wings! You glow in the dark! You talk! Your helmet does that... that... that "whoosh" thing! You are a cool toy!
Nick: If the world is only gonna see a fox as shifty and untrustworthy, there's no point in trying to be anything else.
Judy: Nick, you are so much more than that.
— Zootopia
Aladar: We're not meant to survive.
Baylene: Oh yes, we were! We're here, aren't we? And how dare you waste this good fortune by giving up! Shame on you! Shame on you, shame on you! The worst part of is it that you led an old fool like me to believe that I was important, that I was needed. And do you know what? You were right, and I'm going to go on believing it. And I, for one, am not willing to die here!
Baylene: Oh yes, we were! We're here, aren't we? And how dare you waste this good fortune by giving up! Shame on you! Shame on you, shame on you! The worst part of is it that you led an old fool like me to believe that I was important, that I was needed. And do you know what? You were right, and I'm going to go on believing it. And I, for one, am not willing to die here!
Y'know, little buddy... there's a yin for every yang. If there's bad, good will rise up against it. It's taken me a long time to find my calling. Now it's about time you find yours.
—Metro Man to Megamind
Jethro: My children, let us give thanks for this bountiful food. And let us also give thanks for the presence of this brave young man whom we honor here tonight. (everyone claps)
Moses: Please, sir, I wish you wouldn't. I have done nothing in my life worth honoring.
Jethro: First, you rescue Tzipporah from Egypt. Then you defend my younger daughters from brigands. You think that is nothing? (Moses shakes his head) It seems you do not know what is worthy of honor.
Moses: Please, sir, I wish you wouldn't. I have done nothing in my life worth honoring.
Jethro: First, you rescue Tzipporah from Egypt. Then you defend my younger daughters from brigands. You think that is nothing? (Moses shakes his head) It seems you do not know what is worthy of honor.
Gusteau: So, we have given up.
Remy: Why do you say that?
Gusteau: We are in a cage, inside a car trunk, awaiting a future in frozen food products.
Remy: No, I'm the one in a cage. I've given up. You are free.
Gusteau: I am only as free as you imagine me to be. As you are.
Remy: Oh, please! I'm sick of pretending! I pretend to be a rat for my father, I pretend to be a human through Linguini, I-I pretend you exist so I have someone to talk to! You only tell me stuff I already know! I know who I am! Why do I need you to tell me?! Why do I need to pretend?!
Gusteau: (chuckles) Ah, but you don't, Remy. You never did...
♫ Look at this home,
We need a new foundation.
It may seem hopeless,
But we'll get by just fine.
Look at this family,
A glowing constellation,
So many stars
And everybody wants to shine.
But the stars don't shine, they burn
And the constellations shift.
I think it's time you learned,
You are more than just your gift. ♫
We need a new foundation.
It may seem hopeless,
But we'll get by just fine.
Look at this family,
A glowing constellation,
So many stars
And everybody wants to shine.
But the stars don't shine, they burn
And the constellations shift.
I think it's time you learned,
You are more than just your gift. ♫
—Mirabel, Encanto, "All Of You"
Cindy: Don't be so hard on yourself. We'll get out of this. [Jimmy sniffles] O-okay, so you made a mistake. Beating yourself up isn't going to fix anything. You know, I was the smartest kid in school until you came along. And, I admit you know more about some things than I do. But, I know one thing that you don't seem to get, and that's that we're never getting out of here without you! So why don't you buck up, mister, and put that big brain of yours back to work. Nick can handle this by himself, but first we have to get out of this cell!
Jimmy: Cindy? Why... why are you being so nice to me?
Cindy: Because there's a bunch of kids in here that need you. And... I do too.
Jimmy: Cindy? Why... why are you being so nice to me?
Cindy: Because there's a bunch of kids in here that need you. And... I do too.
Silver: Now you listen to me, James Hawkins... Ye got the makings of greatness in ya! But ye gotta take the helm and chart yer own course! Stick to it, no matter the squalls! And when the time comes, ye get to really test the cut of yer sails and show what you're made of... well, I hope I'm there... catchin' some o' the light comin' off ya that day...
Film — Live-Action
Schindler: I... could have got more out. I could have got more. I don't know, if I'd just... I could have got more...
Itzhak:: Oskar, there are eleven-hundred people who are alive because of you. Look at them.
Schindler: If I'd made more money... (laughs) I threw away so much money... (begins to tear up) You have no idea... If I'd just...
Itzhak: There will be generations because of what you did.
Schindler: I didn't do enough!
Itzhak: You did so much.
Itzhak:: Oskar, there are eleven-hundred people who are alive because of you. Look at them.
Schindler: If I'd made more money... (laughs) I threw away so much money... (begins to tear up) You have no idea... If I'd just...
Itzhak: There will be generations because of what you did.
Schindler: I didn't do enough!
Itzhak: You did so much.
Eddie: You saw how I just froze up. I was gonna let you die. If I go down there...I'm going to get us all killed.
Richie: Okay, fine, you had a moment up there. But who killed a psychotic clown before he was fourteen?
Eddie: Me.
Richie: Who stabbed Bowers with a knife he pulled out of his own face?
Eddie: Also me.
Richie: Who married a woman ten times his own body mass?
Eddie: Me.
Richie: Yeah. You're braver than you think.
Richie: Okay, fine, you had a moment up there. But who killed a psychotic clown before he was fourteen?
Eddie: Me.
Richie: Who stabbed Bowers with a knife he pulled out of his own face?
Eddie: Also me.
Richie: Who married a woman ten times his own body mass?
Eddie: Me.
Richie: Yeah. You're braver than you think.
Scarlet Witch: This is all my fault!
Hawkeye: Hey, look at me. It's your fault, it's everyone's fault, who cares? Now are you up for this? Are you? Look, I just need to know because the city is flying. Ok, look, the city is flying, we're fighting an army of robots, and I have a bow and arrow. None of this makes sense. But I'm going back out there cause it's my job. Ok, and I can't do my job and babysit. Doesn't matter what you did, or what you were. If you go out there, you fight, and you fight to kill. Stay in here, you're good, I'll send your brother to come find you. But if you step out that door...you are an Avenger. Alright, good chat.
Hawkeye: Hey, look at me. It's your fault, it's everyone's fault, who cares? Now are you up for this? Are you? Look, I just need to know because the city is flying. Ok, look, the city is flying, we're fighting an army of robots, and I have a bow and arrow. None of this makes sense. But I'm going back out there cause it's my job. Ok, and I can't do my job and babysit. Doesn't matter what you did, or what you were. If you go out there, you fight, and you fight to kill. Stay in here, you're good, I'll send your brother to come find you. But if you step out that door...you are an Avenger. Alright, good chat.
"You will always be the God of Mischief, but you could be more."
Thor: His head was over there... His body over there.... Yes, the fearsome Thanos was slain, but what did it matter, Mother? He had won. I was too late. I just stood there. A gung-ho fool holding an axe. A failure.
Frigga: You are no fool. You’re here, aren’t you? Seeking counsel from the wisest person in Asgard.
Thor: I guess, yeah.
Frigga: A fool? No. A failure? Absolutely.
Thor: That's a little bit harsh.
Frigga: You do know what that makes you? Just like everyone else.
Thor: I'm not supposed to be like everyone else, am I?
Frigga: Everyone fails at who they are supposed to be, Thor. The measure of a person, of a hero, is how well they succeed at being who they are.
Frigga: You are no fool. You’re here, aren’t you? Seeking counsel from the wisest person in Asgard.
Thor: I guess, yeah.
Frigga: A fool? No. A failure? Absolutely.
Thor: That's a little bit harsh.
Frigga: You do know what that makes you? Just like everyone else.
Thor: I'm not supposed to be like everyone else, am I?
Frigga: Everyone fails at who they are supposed to be, Thor. The measure of a person, of a hero, is how well they succeed at being who they are.
Peter Parker: Everywhere I go, I see his face...and the whole world is asking who's gonna be the next Iron Man, and...I don't know if that's me, Happy, I'm not Iron Man.
Happy Hogan: You're not Iron Man. You're never gonna be Iron Man. Nobody can live up to Tony, not even Tony. Tony was my best friend, and he was a mess. He second-guessed everything he did, he was all over the place. The one thing he did that he didn't second-guess was picking you. I don't think Tony would've done what he did if he didn't know you were gonna be here after he was gone. Your friends are in trouble, you're all alone, tech is missing...what are you gonna do about it?
Happy Hogan: You're not Iron Man. You're never gonna be Iron Man. Nobody can live up to Tony, not even Tony. Tony was my best friend, and he was a mess. He second-guessed everything he did, he was all over the place. The one thing he did that he didn't second-guess was picking you. I don't think Tony would've done what he did if he didn't know you were gonna be here after he was gone. Your friends are in trouble, you're all alone, tech is missing...what are you gonna do about it?
Peter 3: I wanna fight an alien. I’m, I’m still, like… That you fought an alien, in space. I’m lame. Like, I fought a Russian guy in a… Like a rhinoceros machine.
Peter 2: Hey, can we wind it back to the “I’m lame” part? ‘Cause, you are not.
Peter 3: Aw, thanks. No, yeah. I appreciate it, I’m not saying I’m lame. But it’s just the self-talk maybe we should, you know…
Peter 2: Yeah, listen… Please… You’re… You’re amazing.
Peter 3: Just to take it in for a minute.
Peter 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You… You are amazing.
Peter 3: I guess I am.
Peter 2: You are amazing.
Peter 2: Hey, can we wind it back to the “I’m lame” part? ‘Cause, you are not.
Peter 3: Aw, thanks. No, yeah. I appreciate it, I’m not saying I’m lame. But it’s just the self-talk maybe we should, you know…
Peter 2: Yeah, listen… Please… You’re… You’re amazing.
Peter 3: Just to take it in for a minute.
Peter 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You… You are amazing.
Peter 3: I guess I am.
Peter 2: You are amazing.
Rey: I saw myself on the dark throne. I won't let it happen. I'm never leaving this place. I'm doing what you did.
Luke: I was wrong. It was fear that kept me here. What are you most afraid of?
Rey: ...Myself.
Luke: Because you're a Palpatine. Leia knew it, too.
Rey: She didn't tell me. And she still trained me.
Luke: Because she saw your spirit. Your heart. Rey, some things are stronger than blood. Confronting fear is the destiny of a Jedi. Your destiny.
Luke: I was wrong. It was fear that kept me here. What are you most afraid of?
Rey: ...Myself.
Luke: Because you're a Palpatine. Leia knew it, too.
Rey: She didn't tell me. And she still trained me.
Luke: Because she saw your spirit. Your heart. Rey, some things are stronger than blood. Confronting fear is the destiny of a Jedi. Your destiny.
Literature
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
—Max Ehrmann, Desiderata
Kittynote : I'll hide, I can go back to hiding.
Anastasianote : I've watched you for a week now. You won't hide. You'll lead.
Anastasianote : I've watched you for a week now. You won't hide. You'll lead.
Shallan: What would you do, Vathah, to erase the past? Would you protect instead of kill, if you had the choice? Would you rescue instead of rob if you could do it over again? Good people are dying as we speak here. You can stop it.
Vathah: We can't change the past.
Shallan: I can change your future.
Vathah: We are wanted men.
Shallan: Yes, I came here wanting men. Hoping to find men. You are offered the chance to be soldiers again. Come with me. I will see to it you have new lives. Those lives start by saving instead of killing.
Vathah: We can't change the past.
Shallan: I can change your future.
Vathah: We are wanted men.
Shallan: Yes, I came here wanting men. Hoping to find men. You are offered the chance to be soldiers again. Come with me. I will see to it you have new lives. Those lives start by saving instead of killing.
— Words of Radiance (second book of The Stormlight Archive)
Skitter: I don't think you're a monster.
Panacea: [laughs] No?
Skitter: Everyone knows how you visit hospitals. How many people have you helped over the past three years? How many lives have you saved, how many people have you rescued from a lifetime of misery?
Panacea: I hated it. It was such a burden. So many long hours spent around sick people, and I got numb to it, I stopped caring. Do you know how many hours I’ve spent awake at night, wishing my powers would just go away, or that some circumstance would come up where I’d make some excusable mistake where they would eventually forgive me, but where I couldn’t visit the hospitals anymore?
Skitter: You didn’t ask for your powers. I'm sure even doctors get worn out, they hate their job, they have bad weeks. Except doctors have fellow staff members, they have friends and everything to go back to, and they’re adults. You're still a teenager. You started doing what you were doing at a time when most people didn't. You didn’t have the maturity and the defenses against the pain you were seeing that doctors pick up over the course of the first twenty-five years of their lives.
Panacea: [laughs] No?
Skitter: Everyone knows how you visit hospitals. How many people have you helped over the past three years? How many lives have you saved, how many people have you rescued from a lifetime of misery?
Panacea: I hated it. It was such a burden. So many long hours spent around sick people, and I got numb to it, I stopped caring. Do you know how many hours I’ve spent awake at night, wishing my powers would just go away, or that some circumstance would come up where I’d make some excusable mistake where they would eventually forgive me, but where I couldn’t visit the hospitals anymore?
Skitter: You didn’t ask for your powers. I'm sure even doctors get worn out, they hate their job, they have bad weeks. Except doctors have fellow staff members, they have friends and everything to go back to, and they’re adults. You're still a teenager. You started doing what you were doing at a time when most people didn't. You didn’t have the maturity and the defenses against the pain you were seeing that doctors pick up over the course of the first twenty-five years of their lives.
In the absence of any word from her, he'll torture himself without limit. He'll think she despises him. His betrayal will bore into him and fester, fatal. He'll die of some simple, stupid, preventable thing-a rotten tooth, an infected cut he fails to treat. He'll die of idealism, of being right when the world is wrong. He'll die without knowing what she's powerless to tell him-that he has helped her. That his heart is as good and as worthy as wood.
Jupiter: Your stepmother was wrong.
Morrigan: Wrong about what?
Jupiter: She said you were a curse. She said it in anger. She didn't mean it.
Morrigan: Of course she meant it.
Jupiter: [after a pause] Maybe. But that doesn't make it true. It doesn't make her right.
Morrigan: Forget it.
Jupiter: You forget it. You forget it, from this moment on. Do you understand? You are not a curse.
Morrigan: Yeah, okay. [she tries to turn away]
Jupiter: [he forces her to look him in the eye] No, listen to me. You asked me if your talent is being cursed? If you have a knack for ruining things? Hear me when I tell you this: you are not a curse on anyone, Morrigan Crow. You never have been. And I think you've known that all along.
Morrigan: Wrong about what?
Jupiter: She said you were a curse. She said it in anger. She didn't mean it.
Morrigan: Of course she meant it.
Jupiter: [after a pause] Maybe. But that doesn't make it true. It doesn't make her right.
Morrigan: Forget it.
Jupiter: You forget it. You forget it, from this moment on. Do you understand? You are not a curse.
Morrigan: Yeah, okay. [she tries to turn away]
Jupiter: [he forces her to look him in the eye] No, listen to me. You asked me if your talent is being cursed? If you have a knack for ruining things? Hear me when I tell you this: you are not a curse on anyone, Morrigan Crow. You never have been. And I think you've known that all along.
—Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
Maester Pylos: You are a notable captain. A captain rules his ship, does he not? He must navigate treacherous waters, set his sails to catch the rising wind, know when a storm is coming and how best to weather it. This is much the same.
Davos Seaworth: It is not all the same! A kingdom's not a ship, and a good thing, or this kingdom would be sinking. I know wood and rope and water, yes, but how will that serve me now? Where do I find the wind to blow King Stannis to his throne?
Pylos: (laughing) And there you have it, my lord. Words are wind, you know, and you've blown mine away with your good sense. His Grace knows what he has in you, I think.
Davos: Onions. That is what he has in me. The King's Hand should be a highborn lord, someone wise and learned, a battle commander or a great knight...
Pylos: Ser Ryam Redwyne was the greatest knight of his day, and one of the worst Hands ever to serve a king. Septon Murmison's prayers worked miracles, but as Hand he soon had the whole realm praying for his death. Lord Butterwell was renowned for wit, Myles Smallwood for courage, Ser Otto Hightower for learning, yet they failed as Hands, every one. As for birth, the dragonkings oft chose Hands from amongst their own blood, with results as various as Baelor Breakspear and Maegor the Cruel. Against this, you have Septon Barth, the blacksmith's son the Old King plucked from the Red Keep's library, who gave the realm forty years of peace and plenty. Read your history, Lord Davos, and you will see that your doubts are groundless.
Davos Seaworth: It is not all the same! A kingdom's not a ship, and a good thing, or this kingdom would be sinking. I know wood and rope and water, yes, but how will that serve me now? Where do I find the wind to blow King Stannis to his throne?
Pylos: (laughing) And there you have it, my lord. Words are wind, you know, and you've blown mine away with your good sense. His Grace knows what he has in you, I think.
Davos: Onions. That is what he has in me. The King's Hand should be a highborn lord, someone wise and learned, a battle commander or a great knight...
Pylos: Ser Ryam Redwyne was the greatest knight of his day, and one of the worst Hands ever to serve a king. Septon Murmison's prayers worked miracles, but as Hand he soon had the whole realm praying for his death. Lord Butterwell was renowned for wit, Myles Smallwood for courage, Ser Otto Hightower for learning, yet they failed as Hands, every one. As for birth, the dragonkings oft chose Hands from amongst their own blood, with results as various as Baelor Breakspear and Maegor the Cruel. Against this, you have Septon Barth, the blacksmith's son the Old King plucked from the Red Keep's library, who gave the realm forty years of peace and plenty. Read your history, Lord Davos, and you will see that your doubts are groundless.
Hoid: You're not a monster, Shallan. Oh, child. The world is monstrous at times, and there are those who would have you believe that you are terrible by association.
Shallan: I am.
Hoid: No. For you see, it flows the other direction. You are not worse for your association with the world, but it is better for its association with you.
Shallan: I am.
Hoid: No. For you see, it flows the other direction. You are not worse for your association with the world, but it is better for its association with you.
— Oathbringer (third book of The Stormlight Archive)
If you are the real Penny Akk, who gave Bull Cuddihy peace, who gave Claudia Cuddihy freedom, and who gave my great niece Barbara hope, then a chance is all you need.
— Sister Marianne to Penny Akk, Please Don't Tell My Parents I Have a Nemesis
Live Action TV
Angel: Look, I'm weak. I've never been anything else. It's not the demon in me that needs killing, Buffy. It's the man.
Buffy: You're weak. Everybody is. Everybody fails. Maybe this evil power did bring you back, but if it did, it's because it needs you. And that means you can hurt it. Angel, you have the power to do real good! To make amends! But if you die now, then all you ever were was a monster!
Buffy: You're weak. Everybody is. Everybody fails. Maybe this evil power did bring you back, but if it did, it's because it needs you. And that means you can hurt it. Angel, you have the power to do real good! To make amends! But if you die now, then all you ever were was a monster!
—Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Amends"
Rebecca: But if I try with Nathaniel, something will happen, okay? He'll go out to dinner with a friend, and he won't answer my texts, or he'll go on a trip and he won't call me enough and I know what I'm capable of when I feel abandoned. I can go to a really dark place, and it's a place where I can hurt myself, and I never want to be in that place again, ever.
Dr. Akopian: Rebecca, that fear is always gonna be there. But as a person who has known you for a long time, you're more stable and self-aware than you were. And you're a loving person who deserves love. One day, I hope you believe that.
Dr. Akopian: Rebecca, that fear is always gonna be there. But as a person who has known you for a long time, you're more stable and self-aware than you were. And you're a loving person who deserves love. One day, I hope you believe that.
"For this is the land in where we live. Where the sex is almost as good as the kiss and the reward far outweighs the risk. And if you never shoot, you'll never miss. For don't fear the future or be afraid to fail. You're the only one of you. Fly free, set sail. 'Cause we're going, going, gone. Life is precious, not here for long. Life is bumpy, beautiful, and treacherous. Your dreams will shatter when you least expect it. But everything is possible because you are here. Life is infinitely better with you in it."
—John Joseph Holt narrating Channel 4's 2023 idents
Boris: I'm an inconsequential man, Valery. That's all I've ever been. I hoped that one day I would matter, but I didn't. I just stood next to people who did.
Valery: (shakes head) There are other scientists like me. Any one of them could have done what I did. But you... everything we asked for, everything we needed. Men, material, lunar rovers. Who else could have done these things? They heard me, but they listened to you. Of all the ministers and all the deputies, entire congregation of obedient fools, they mistakenly sent the one good man. For God's sakes, Boris... you were the one who mattered most.
Valery: (shakes head) There are other scientists like me. Any one of them could have done what I did. But you... everything we asked for, everything we needed. Men, material, lunar rovers. Who else could have done these things? They heard me, but they listened to you. Of all the ministers and all the deputies, entire congregation of obedient fools, they mistakenly sent the one good man. For God's sakes, Boris... you were the one who mattered most.
"You've decided that the universe is better off without you, but the universe doesn't agree!"
—River Song, Doctor Who
War Doctor: Go back. Go back to your lives. Go and be the Doctor I could never be. Make it worthwhile.
Tenth Doctor: All those years, burying you in my memory.
Eleventh Doctor: Pretending you didn't exist, keeping you a secret even from myself.
Tenth Doctor: Pretending you weren't the Doctor, when you were the Doctor more than anybody else.
Eleventh Doctor: You were the Doctor on the day it wasn't possible to get it right.
Tenth Doctor: All those years, burying you in my memory.
Eleventh Doctor: Pretending you didn't exist, keeping you a secret even from myself.
Tenth Doctor: Pretending you weren't the Doctor, when you were the Doctor more than anybody else.
Eleventh Doctor: You were the Doctor on the day it wasn't possible to get it right.
Barry: Magenta! *looks up at Jesse Quick on the roof* I got a little help. So I could help you. Okay, killing your foster father and everyone else inside that hospital isn't going to give you what you need.
Magenta: You have no idea what I need! It's not just John I want to get rid of. I want them both gone.
Barry: I know you're still in there, Frankie. Don't let John destroy the good that's still inside you.
Magenta: He said I was weak. That I was pathetic! He said I was a horrible person.
Barry: He's just blaming you for all the bad things he's caused in his life, it's not your fault, this isn't because of you.
Magenta: I just want him to stop hurting me.
Barry: This isn't the way. Your foster father never forgave himself for his mistakes, that's why he took them out on you. He couldn't face who he is, he couldn't move forward. But you can.
Magenta: *lifts down the ship, starts crying* I'm so sorry!
Barry: It's okay.
Magenta: I'm so sorry!
Barry It's gonna be okay. It's okay, it's gonna be okay.
"Everything you did brought you to where you are now. Home."
—Bran Stark to Theon Greyjoy, Game of Thrones
"You could be whoever, whatever you wanna be, even someone good. I mean, just in case anyone ever told you different."
—Mobius M Mobius to the title character, Loki (2021)
Kermit: There are some people in this world who don't care about anything but themselves. Sometimes I wish I was more like them.
Rowlf: But then you wouldn't be you.
Will: What are you doin' in here, Uncle Phil?
Phil: Is this for your own information, or will this be in USA Today?
Will: C'mon, man. I'm sorry if I made you mad, but the reporter was gonna trash the article until I gave her those pig stories.
Phil: I guess. Well, everyone loves those amusing little agricultural anecdotes. I guess it just never occurred to you they make me look like a fool.
Will: Uncle Phil, your plaid golf shirts make you look like a fool. Those stories make you look great. Man, I mean, you did a lot for black people that I didn't even know of.
Phil: Yeah, I raised a pig for the Young Farmer's Association. Puts me right up there with Martin Luther King.
Will: You were the first black president, and that's something. And what about the whites-only restroom?
Phil: In case my mother didn't make it painfully clear, I wasn't trying to prove a point. I only went in there because I really had to go.
Man: I see a whole lot of that!
Will: I mean, but Uncle Phil, it's just like Rosa Parks. I mean, when she sat in the front of the bus, I mean, she wasn't trying to make a point either. She did it 'cause her feet hurt. I mean, they told her to leave and she didn't. And neither did you.
Phil: I must be kidding myself. I had it all planned out. There was my family all lined up to meet the press. There I was with my perfect image: "Philip Banks pulled himself up from the streets with his own bootstraps". The only problem was I didn't have it that hard. I had two parents who loved me and were always there for me, worked hard to make sure I'd have everything they never had.
Will: I mean...Why are you worried so much about your image? The truth sounds real good to me.
Phil: I don't think my mother will ever forgive me.
Will: Aw, man, you must be trippin'. Granny's great. Just explain it to her.
Phil: Will, there's something you have to learn. Sometimes, parents just don't understand.
—The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, "Not With My Pig, You Don't"
Are you brave and don't know it
Are you brave and can't tell
Are you brave and just don't show it
While others know it very well?
Are you brave and can't tell
Are you brave and just don't show it
While others know it very well?
— Song from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
"So when people are cruel to you,
you take all of your fears and your doubts
and you put them them in here, in this box.
And you lock it. And you'll find that
you're stronger than you think you are."
you take all of your fears and your doubts
and you put them them in here, in this box.
And you lock it. And you'll find that
you're stronger than you think you are."
—Lionel Luthor, Smallville
"Amy, you are an amazing cop and a great leader, and you have proven that a billion times over. You can't let other people's opinions get in the way of what you want, especially because other people suck."
—Rosa Diaz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Gabrielle: I've seen you sacrifice yourself for her, surrendering your own life without a moment's hesitation. I thank you for that.
Georgiou: You have obviously confused me with my sentimental prime universe counterpart. I'm Terran. Self-sacrifice is not our way.
Gabrielle: I know exactly what you are and what you're capable of.
Georgiou: I doubt I would sacrifice my life to save the galaxy.
Gabrielle: You'd be surprised what you'd do for the people you love.
Georgiou: You have obviously confused me with my sentimental prime universe counterpart. I'm Terran. Self-sacrifice is not our way.
Gabrielle: I know exactly what you are and what you're capable of.
Georgiou: I doubt I would sacrifice my life to save the galaxy.
Gabrielle: You'd be surprised what you'd do for the people you love.
— Star Trek: Discovery, "Perpetual Infinity"
"You are the only woman I know who likes to think herself cold and selfish and grand — most of us spend our lives trying to hide it!"
— The Dowager Countess to her granddaughter Mary, Downton Abbey, Series 6 Episode 8
"When I started my experiment, I thought, 'Four broken birdbrains who will believe everything I tell them. This will be a breeze.' You beat me in three months. 'Okay, fine,' I thought, 'a fluke.' You then beat me 800 more times. Because human beings, it turns out, are weird, and I will never truly understand what it's like to be one. This is a job for a human. One who's tough, but also empathetic, and has a big heart - and a world-class bullshirt detector. You think you can't do this? Eleanor, you're the only one who can do this. Like it or not, the only one who can save humanity is a girl from Arizona."
—Michael to Eleanor, "The Good Place S 4 E 02 "A Girl From Arizona (Part 2)""
Miles O'Brien: When we were growing up, they used to tell us humanity had evolved, that mankind had outgrown hate and rage. But when it came down to it, when I had the chance to show that no matter what anyone did to me, I was still an evolved human being, I failed. I repaid kindness with blood. I was no better than an animal.
Dr. Julian Bashir: No, no, no, no. An animal would've killed Ee'char and never had a second thought, never shed a tear. But not you. You hate yourself. You hate yourself so much you think you deserve to die. The Argrathi did everything they could to strip you of your humanity. And in the end, for one brief moment, they succeeded. But you can't let that brief moment define your entire life. If you do, if you pull that trigger, then the Argrathi will have won. They will have destroyed a good man. You cannot let that happen, my friend.
— Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, "Hard Time"
Music
Well I met an old man dying on a train
No more destination, no more pain
Well he said one thing, before I graduate
"Never let your fear decide your fate."
No more destination, no more pain
Well he said one thing, before I graduate
"Never let your fear decide your fate."
—AWOLNATION, "Kill Your Heroes"
"Don't ever let anyone tell you you deserve that"
— The Antlers, "Wake"
I hope you don't take it the wrong way
But i think your inside is your best side
But i think your inside is your best side
— SOPHIE, "It's Okay to Cry"
You don’t have to tell a flower how to bloom
Or light how to fill up a room
You already are what you are
And what you are is beautiful
Or light how to fill up a room
You already are what you are
And what you are is beautiful
—"What You Are" by Jewel
If you have a heart that's in pain
Don't be afraid, you're not to blame
There's a better world inside of us
Where we always thought it was
You don't need to hide
You can open up your eyes
And you'll discover
That there is another, world
Don't be afraid, you're not to blame
There's a better world inside of us
Where we always thought it was
You don't need to hide
You can open up your eyes
And you'll discover
That there is another, world
— Andrew W.K., Totally Stupid
Hey little Danny don’t you cry
I am you from much later in your life
I know your hair is wild, I know you have no style
You’re still a virgin and you will be for a while
Danny don’t you know that you are hot as fuck on the inside
Everybody knows the best bananas will be ripe with time
Danny don’t you know that you kick so much ass on the inside
Danny don’t you know
I am you from much later in your life
I know your hair is wild, I know you have no style
You’re still a virgin and you will be for a while
Danny don’t you know that you are hot as fuck on the inside
Everybody knows the best bananas will be ripe with time
Danny don’t you know that you kick so much ass on the inside
Danny don’t you know
You are a rockstar, a superhero
Get up, get up and show 'em what you're made of
You know what you are so let the fear go
Get up, get up and show 'em what you're made of
Get up, get up and show 'em what you're made of
You know what you are so let the fear go
Get up, get up and show 'em what you're made of
— Blue Stahli, "Rockstar"
Video Games
Lyndon: If I keep helping you kill the lords of Hell maybe I'll be a good person, eh?
Nephalem: No.
Lyndon: Are you serious?
Nephalem: You already are one.
Nephalem: No.
Lyndon: Are you serious?
Nephalem: You already are one.
"As shaman of the Skaal, I am charged with the spiritual well-being of my people. While you are not of the Skaal, you are Skaal-friend, and so I give you this warning. Herma-Mora forced you to serve him in order to defeat Miraak. Do not let him lure you further down that path. The All-Maker made you Dragonborn for a higher purpose. Do not forget that. Walk with the All-Maker, Skaal-friend."
—Frea to the Dragonborn, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Dragonborn
Max Caulfield: This is my storm. I caused this… I caused all of this. I changed fate and destiny so much that… I actually did alter the course of everything. And all I really created was just death and destruction!
Chloe Price: Fuck all of that, okay? You were given a power. You didn't ask for it… and you saved me. Which had to happen, all of this did… except for what happened to Rachel. But without your power, we wouldn't have found her! Okay, so you're not the goddamn Time Master, but you're Maxine Caulfield, and you're amazing.
Chloe Price: Fuck all of that, okay? You were given a power. You didn't ask for it… and you saved me. Which had to happen, all of this did… except for what happened to Rachel. But without your power, we wouldn't have found her! Okay, so you're not the goddamn Time Master, but you're Maxine Caulfield, and you're amazing.
The people of this galaxy need you, Qwark. They believe in you. You can give them hope. You have a chance to redeem yourself and become the hero you have always wanted to be.
—Clank to Captain Qwark, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
Hanzo: Real life is not like the stories our father told us! You are a fool for believing it so!
Alejandra: You're one of those heroes, aren't you?
Soldier: 76: Not anymore.
Alejandra: I think you are.
Soldier: 76: Not anymore.
Alejandra: I think you are.
Goro Akechi: In the end... I couldn't be special.
Ryuji Sakamato: Dude, you're more than special...
Makoto Niijima: It pains me to admit... but your wit and strength far exceeds ours.
Ryuji Sakamato: Dude, you're more than special...
Makoto Niijima: It pains me to admit... but your wit and strength far exceeds ours.
You have put yourself down many a time, but I have witnessed you in earnest. You're the kind of person who would risk her life for a fellow in need! Sure, some may say they would die for a friend. Yet, how many would actually do it? You may not be as strong as the others in battle, but your selflessness knows no bounds! Of that, I'm certain!
—Navarre (to Asahi), Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
Olivia: You're really... my daughter?
Lucina: Yes. I swear it.
Olivia: But you're so strong and beautiful... Nothing like me!
Lucina: Everything like you... milady.
Lucina: Yes. I swear it.
Olivia: But you're so strong and beautiful... Nothing like me!
Lucina: Everything like you... milady.
Paragon Shepard: There's only so much fight in a person, only so much before...
Garrus: Before your friend picks you up, dusts you off, and reminds you that you're the best damn soldier he's ever served with.
Garrus: Before your friend picks you up, dusts you off, and reminds you that you're the best damn soldier he's ever served with.
Yunobo: Before I came here... I was afraid of everything. But there was someone who wanted to fight at my side anyway, goro. That person... he's the one who taught me how to be brave! It's because of him that I've come this far. But I... still have a long way to go.
(Daruk then takes his hand and raises it up, as the people in Kakariko Village cheer for them. Yunobo brightens up.)
Daruk: I'm proud that you're my descendant. You are the Champion... of the whole future. And don't you forget it!
Yunobo: Great Daruk, I'm so...
Daruk: And about that courageous friend of yours, it seems I owe him as well. So you better give him my best, all right? (gives Yunobo a smack on the back)
Yunobo: (after being stunned) Yeah!
(Both Daruk and Yunobo share a good hearty laugh)
(Daruk then takes his hand and raises it up, as the people in Kakariko Village cheer for them. Yunobo brightens up.)
Daruk: I'm proud that you're my descendant. You are the Champion... of the whole future. And don't you forget it!
Yunobo: Great Daruk, I'm so...
Daruk: And about that courageous friend of yours, it seems I owe him as well. So you better give him my best, all right? (gives Yunobo a smack on the back)
Yunobo: (after being stunned) Yeah!
(Both Daruk and Yunobo share a good hearty laugh)
Arthur Morgan: I've lived a bad life, Sister.
Sister Calderon: We've all lived bad lives, Mr. Morgan. We all sin. But I know you.
Arthur Morgan: (chuckles) You don't know me.
Sister Calderon: Forgive me, but that's the problem. You don't know you.
Arthur Morgan: What'd you mean?
Sister Calderon: I don't know, but whenever we happen to meet, you're always helping people and smiling. [...] Life is full of pain, but there is also love and beauty.
Arthur Morgan: (sighs) What am I gonna do now?
Sister Calderon: Be grateful that for the first time, you see your life clearly. Perhaps you could help somebody? Helping makes you really happy.
Arthur Morgan: But... I still don't believe in nothin'.
Sister Calderon: (laughs) Often neither do I. But then, I meet someone like you, and everything makes sense.
Sister Calderon: We've all lived bad lives, Mr. Morgan. We all sin. But I know you.
Arthur Morgan: (chuckles) You don't know me.
Sister Calderon: Forgive me, but that's the problem. You don't know you.
Arthur Morgan: What'd you mean?
Sister Calderon: I don't know, but whenever we happen to meet, you're always helping people and smiling. [...] Life is full of pain, but there is also love and beauty.
Arthur Morgan: (sighs) What am I gonna do now?
Sister Calderon: Be grateful that for the first time, you see your life clearly. Perhaps you could help somebody? Helping makes you really happy.
Arthur Morgan: But... I still don't believe in nothin'.
Sister Calderon: (laughs) Often neither do I. But then, I meet someone like you, and everything makes sense.
"Look, kid, you're already a hero. The only one left to convince is yourself."
Gawain: To lose to a mere apprentice...I have been disgraced! Only death can remove this stain upon my honor.
(Sonic takes Gawain's blade away before he can do anything)
Sonic: Gimme a break! What's up with all this drama?!
Gawain: Silence! Silence, I say! A knight who fails their king is unfit to live!
Sonic: Isn't there more to being a knight than just serving a king?
Gawain: Huh?
Sonic: I'm outta here. People to save, ya know?
(Sonic takes Gawain's blade away before he can do anything)
Sonic: Gimme a break! What's up with all this drama?!
Gawain: Silence! Silence, I say! A knight who fails their king is unfit to live!
Sonic: Isn't there more to being a knight than just serving a king?
Gawain: Huh?
Sonic: I'm outta here. People to save, ya know?
Noelle (In Disguise): W... Why do you... Need to find Noelle so badly?
Queen: What Are You Saying This City Is Dangerous
Queen: Imagine Poor Noelle Clipping Into A Wall Somewhere Wasting Away From Potassium Deficiency
Noelle (In Disguise): Y... you're actually worried about her?
Queen: I Would Be If I Wasn't Going To Find Her
Noelle (In Disguise): B... but why her? Wait, let me guess... is it because... She's weak enough to make into your peon?
Queen: Haha No
Queen: Just The Opposite
Queen: It's Because She's Strong
Queen: What Are You Saying This City Is Dangerous
Queen: Imagine Poor Noelle Clipping Into A Wall Somewhere Wasting Away From Potassium Deficiency
Noelle (In Disguise): Y... you're actually worried about her?
Queen: I Would Be If I Wasn't Going To Find Her
Noelle (In Disguise): B... but why her? Wait, let me guess... is it because... She's weak enough to make into your peon?
Queen: Haha No
Queen: Just The Opposite
Queen: It's Because She's Strong
The stone cannot know why the chisel cleaves it.
The iron cannot know why the fire scorches it.
When thy life is cleft and scorched,
when death and despair do leap at thee,
beat not thy breast and curse thy evil fate,
but thank the Builder for the trials that shape thee.
The iron cannot know why the fire scorches it.
When thy life is cleft and scorched,
when death and despair do leap at thee,
beat not thy breast and curse thy evil fate,
but thank the Builder for the trials that shape thee.
Count Peperon: ...Oh my, what wonderful companions you have. You are so very, very lucky. I'm jealous, even. The world's full of strong people. Smart ones too. But the only way you get dependable friends like that is to live a life of integrity. The only friends I attract are just as selfish as I am!
Da Vinci: That's not true, Count. Those soldiers who brought us here didn't just respect you for your money. They genuinely trusted you. You're not nearly as awful a person as you make yourself out to be.
Well a broken clock is right twice. And if a clock can muster that... Then you'd be shocked by what a broken person can do.
— Zanguango, Brutal Orchestra
Tyr: You know the evils that came with your pact, you know the evils within yourself, yes, these you dwell on. But it's not that simple, is it?
Mimir: (watching a vision of Kratos' past) The [Barbarian] horde is vast, brother... what would have happened if you didn't stop it?
Kratos: Our lands would have been overrun. Our people killed, violated...
Tyr: People your army was sworn to protect. An army led by you. Did you not feel a duty to fulfill your purpose? Did you not fear for the safety of your homeland? You saved them.
Kratos: You would excuse my actions?
Tyr: Excusing them is not the exercise, Kratos. Only accepting them. Accepting that you acted based on what you knew then, not on what was to come. Your motivation and their consequences are far more complicated than you let yourself believe.
Mimir: (watching a vision of Kratos' past) The [Barbarian] horde is vast, brother... what would have happened if you didn't stop it?
Kratos: Our lands would have been overrun. Our people killed, violated...
Tyr: People your army was sworn to protect. An army led by you. Did you not feel a duty to fulfill your purpose? Did you not fear for the safety of your homeland? You saved them.
Kratos: You would excuse my actions?
Tyr: Excusing them is not the exercise, Kratos. Only accepting them. Accepting that you acted based on what you knew then, not on what was to come. Your motivation and their consequences are far more complicated than you let yourself believe.
— God of War Ragnarök, Valhalla
Oathbreaker Knight: Nobody belongs entirely to their bloodline, even those fathered by a god. You chose a path, made a pledge, and Bhaal had no part in it.
Visual Novels
Chiaki: You're probably just scared, right? Not just of disappearing. You're scared of moving toward the future with such a heavy burden, right?
Hajime: Yeah...I'm scared. I'm obviously terrified...of that...
Hajime: Huh?!
Chiaki: Didn't you want to become someone with confidence? Isn't that why you admired Hope's Peak Academy?
Hajime: B-but...even Hope's Peak Academy tricked me.
Chiaki: Hajime, you've had it wrong this whole time.
Hajime: ...wrong?
Chiaki: Having talent isn't the goal. There's something much more important than whether or not you have talent, right? What's important is that you believe in yourself. If you can't do that, no matter how much talent you possess, you will never be confident in yourself. Just like...how you were in the past.
Hajime: Y-you...hey, who are you? I mean...you should've already disappeared, right?
Chiaki: But past Hajime is in the past. He's not the same Hajime who spent time with me and the others in this world. So it's going to be alright. I think it's time you finally had confidence in yourself.
Hajime: Hey Chiaki...can you tell me something? Which choice should I make? My hope...the world's hope...which one should I choose?
Chiaki: You guys are the only ones who have the right to decide your future. And the responsibility too.
Hajime: So you're saying...I should choose for myself?
Chiaki: But if you can't choose either future, why don't you just create one?
Hajime: Create?
Chiaki: Even if this world is just a game, you guys aren't part of the game. You don't have to just choose a future. You should be able to create one as well.
Hajime: Do you think someone like me can do that?
Chiaki: Since you're not part of the game, you don't have to worry about talent, skill, or level. You guys have a tremendous ultimate move that can overcome anything. I guess what I'm trying to say is...if you just do it, things will turn out okay.
Hajime: I-if I do it, things will turn out okay.
Chiaki: Of course, games aren't very fun when they're easy to clear.
Hajime: But...this isn't a game, right?
Chiaki: Hey, Hajime...this isn't for the sake of anyone else. You...you have to do this for yourself. Now then! It's about time you show me your cool side, Hajime. C'mon, I'll help out too...
"You have so much value. To me, and your other friends, too. This club wouldn't have been the same without you. I really, really mean that. You coming here was the best thing that could have happened. Even if we never got any other members... I would still be happy. That's what you brought here. You brought us a vision... and you also brought happiness. And that's your favorite thing to do... right?"
—Monika to Sayori, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!, Trust Side Story
Claudio: You would cry? If you would cry over this, I must question why you could not accept his love.
Lee: B-Because I—I have no faith that... That I'm a good person. What if all the killing, if it... If it has already broken my heart? Yamato shines far too bright, compared to me. Moreover, my old... acquaintance... He is here. It is too dangerous.
Claudio: I see. So those are your reasons. I believe I have something to report to you. Last night, I drove the Centipede away. It was a simple matter. I have managed to solve the latter issue so I would suggest you find a method of solving the first yourself. Though I harbor doubts as to if one with a broken heart could ever shed such tears. Hence, stand proud and act as you will.
Lee: ...May I... take half? ...I lack that degree of confidence... in my heart... However, I respect you, and I believe I could be proud of... Of the woman you think me to be. So could I base half my confidence... In your faith in me?
Claudio: I would almost think you my granddaughter, you ask so much... You are free to do as you like.
Web Animation
Blake: How can you still love me after what I did?
Ghira: Blake... your mother and I will always love you.
Blake: You were right. I shouted at you and yelled at you. But you were right. I called you cowards!
Ghira: It's okay.
Blake: I should have left the White Fang with you and Mom. I should've listened to you, and I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.
Ghira: Blake, it's fine. We never held anything against you, and I never feared you would fail. The only thing I ever feared was that you would fall down the wrong path, and I am so proud to see you haven't.
Blake: But I did! I was—
Ghira: And you pulled yourself out. You came back. There aren't many who possess that kind of strength and even fewer that have the courage to face their demons again.
Ghira: Blake... your mother and I will always love you.
Blake: You were right. I shouted at you and yelled at you. But you were right. I called you cowards!
Ghira: It's okay.
Blake: I should have left the White Fang with you and Mom. I should've listened to you, and I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.
Ghira: Blake, it's fine. We never held anything against you, and I never feared you would fail. The only thing I ever feared was that you would fall down the wrong path, and I am so proud to see you haven't.
Blake: But I did! I was—
Ghira: And you pulled yourself out. You came back. There aren't many who possess that kind of strength and even fewer that have the courage to face their demons again.
Ruby:: What happens... if I choose me?
Blacksmith: Then maybe... that girl is enough.
Blacksmith: Then maybe... that girl is enough.
Asmodeus: Fizz, Mammon didn't do shit. You already were this. You'd be this no matter what! You are the most inspiring demon I have ever known, and meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me. I adore your inventiveness, your attitude, your resilience. Aaaaand you're just the cutest little thing alive. Also, you are a waaaay better performer than Mammon ever was, and thaaat's just facts.
Web Original
"Gohan, I want to tell you... if you don't do this, Piccolo is gonna die. Your mom is gonna die. Everyone is gonna die. But before all that, if you don't do this... you're gonna die. And you're better than that! You're better than [Cell]. You're better than me! [...] See? I'm not even close to that strong (yet)! You are more than just my son. You are Son Gohan! Now plant your feet, grit your teeth, and EAT. THAT. HORSE!"
—Goku, Dragon Ball Z Abridged
"Tubbo, do you know how fucking strong you are? And I'm not– I'm not just saying that, I've alr– I've got your forgiveness, and I know I need to earn your trust, but man, I just wanna let you know that... you're so strong, man. Genuinely. Just the fact that you proved to me just there, that you... you have these memories, you have these nightmares, and you still found it in your heart to forgive me, that... you're a fucking champion, man. You're a hero."
— Wilbur to Tubbo, Dream SMP
"You can't keep doing this to yourself. Winifred! I know you think you deserve this. The pain, the humiliation, and...perhaps you do, but you can't let the mistakes of your past dictate your future. The things you did to me, to Lucy, I know you regret. You need to let the past go. Every day you dwell on it, you breathe life into its lungs, every moment you give it credence, it gains power. Don't give it your attention. Let it die. We all have shadows at our heels. You need not let them consume you...you need only turn on the light."
—-Fleischer, Satellite City
"It is not against the law to go missing under your own volition. You might have debts to pay or contracts to honor, but if you are an adult, the act of disappearing is not illegal in and off itself. You have the right to go missing. But believing that no one would miss you? That is ridiculous and unscientific. Statistics would suggest otherwise. David Wong wrote one of the most powerful articles I've ever read. There is a lot of information out there. There's even a word for it: infobesity. It takes a lifetime to even experience some of it. It's easy to think that everyone knows everything you know, but every year, more than 100 million new people are born and not a single one of them is born knowing they are made out of atoms, or that black holes are awesome. Someone needs to be there to tell them. To show them."
"How many jokes do you hear every day? Every week? How many jokes do you hear every year? Here's a fun thought: by considering average life expectancy and the typical number of jokes a person hears every year, David Wong posited a thought rough in its approximation, but sharp in its essence. If you are under the age of 38, odds are the funniest joke you will ever hear is a joke you haven't even heard yet, and if you are over the age of 38, odds are you already know a joke that, to more people than you could ever possibly meet, might be the funniest joke they will ever hear."
"So, wherever you are, we're glad you're there. And as always, thanks for watching."
—Michael, Vsauce: How People Disappear
"That's the beauty of Kirby's lore to me. No matter how tough things get, no matter how scary our obstacles, no matter how complex the world around us might become, a simple and earnest approach can always see us through. The solutions to our problems may not be as simple as Kirby's, but the place one comes from to solving them is. One of care, confidence, and love. If Kirby can fight monsters of immeasurable power and evil just because he cares, so can you. That's the message of the Kirby series to me, and it's one that's only shone brighter the more the series has developed around him. Kirby is shaped like a friend. Kirby is your friend. Kirby will always be your friend. And like him, you can take on anything. That's the value of Kirby. That's the story behind his lore. That's friendship."
— The Lore of Kirby — Designing For Friendship
Webcomics
Grandpa Gohan: My dear... Are you okay?
Gine: ...I wasn't cut out to be Bardock's battle partner because I couldn't bring myself to kill anyone. Tell me, Gohan... Am I weak for sparing that man's life?
Grandpa Gohan: Of course not, Gine! Even if they hurt you, showing mercy to someone is not a weakness! It shows just how strong you are, and you are the strongest, bravest woman I've ever known.
Gine: ...I wasn't cut out to be Bardock's battle partner because I couldn't bring myself to kill anyone. Tell me, Gohan... Am I weak for sparing that man's life?
Grandpa Gohan: Of course not, Gine! Even if they hurt you, showing mercy to someone is not a weakness! It shows just how strong you are, and you are the strongest, bravest woman I've ever known.
"I hauled the old body all the way out here... even fought a few ruffians... to remind you! The oath is to preserve and glorify the works of God, not to covet or control them! To defend the weak and powerless, not terrify them! It represents gentleness, White Chain. And you... you didn't even say the prayer for forgiveness just now. Don't forget who you are! You of all my siblings struggle! You are a noble soul! The way you love the world — by God! I had forgotten that feeling. You are the best of us, not someone to be beaten into shape. It is a terrible shame we have forgotten that."
—-10 Vigilant Gaze Purges the Horizon, Kill Six Billion Demons
Western Animation
"There's no such thing as perfect. You're beautiful as you are, Courage. With all your imperfections, you can do anything."
—Fish, Courage the Cowardly Dog, "Perfect"
Pacifica: You wanna know why this room was locked up? This is what I found in here. A painted record of every horrible thing that my family's ever done. Lying, cheating, and then there's me. I lied to you just because I'm too scared to talk back to my stupid parents! You were right about me. I am just another link in the world's worst chain.
Dipper: Pacifica, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. But just because you're your parents' daughter doesn't mean you have to be like them. It's not too late.
Dipper: Pacifica, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. But just because you're your parents' daughter doesn't mean you have to be like them. It's not too late.
—Gravity Falls, "Northwest Mansion Mystery"
Luna: How can I forgive myself? I am no better than I was then! My creation is about to turn the world into a living nightmare!
Twilight: But look at what you're doing! Nightmare Moon would have wanted the Tantabus to turn Equastria into a nightmare! You're doing everything you can to stop it! Don't you see? This proves you're not the same pony you were then! Everypony who knows you knows that Nightmare Moon was in the past! We all trust you, Luna! Do you trust us enough to believe we're right?
Luna: ...I do!
—My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?"
Pearl: When we fuse, I can feel what it's like to be you. Confident, and secure, and complete. You're perfect. You're the perfect relationship. You're always together, I just... I wanted to be a part of that.
Garnet: You're wrong! I'm not as strong as you think. I-I fell apart over this. Ruby and Sapphire were in turmoil over how you deceived me. I came undone. It's not easy being in control. I have weaknesses, too, but I choose not to let them consume me. I struggle to stay strong because I know the impact I have on everyone. Please understand, Pearl. You have an impact, too. There are times when I look up to you for strength. You are your own Gem. You control your destiny. Not me, not Rose, not Steven. But you must choose to be strong. So we can move forward. So I can trust you again.
Pearl: I understand. I can't give up anymore!
Garnet: Good.
—Steven Universe, "Friend Ship"
Logan: I came here to get away from fightin'. I wanna be like you. I just wanna live in peace.
Oku: Do you? Peace comes with purpose. My faith gives me mine.
Logan: Rippin' up people is no purpose!
Oku: But protecting and caring for people is. Like many, perhaps you see yourself less well than others see you. Try looking at yourself with new eyes.
Oku: Do you? Peace comes with purpose. My faith gives me mine.
Logan: Rippin' up people is no purpose!
Oku: But protecting and caring for people is. Like many, perhaps you see yourself less well than others see you. Try looking at yourself with new eyes.
—X-Men: The Animated Series, "The Lotus And The Steel"
Miranda: What's the matter, sweetheart?
Sofia: I don't want a royal ball.
Miranda: Oh, Sofia... I've never known you to turn down a party, especially one thrown just for you.
Sofia: But I don't know anything about being a princess! And I don't know how to dance! I'm going to trip and everyone's going to laugh at me!
Miranda: You'll do fine. And besides, no one ever laughs at a princess.
Sofia: Says who?
Miranda: Come here, Sofia. Just try the best you can. And if it's not good enough for all those stuffy dukes and duchesses, then, that's their problem. Mmm-hmm?
Sofia: I don't want a royal ball.
Miranda: Oh, Sofia... I've never known you to turn down a party, especially one thrown just for you.
Sofia: But I don't know anything about being a princess! And I don't know how to dance! I'm going to trip and everyone's going to laugh at me!
Miranda: You'll do fine. And besides, no one ever laughs at a princess.
Sofia: Says who?
Miranda: Come here, Sofia. Just try the best you can. And if it's not good enough for all those stuffy dukes and duchesses, then, that's their problem. Mmm-hmm?
—Sofia the First, "Once Upon a Princess"
Eugene: Hello? Blondie? Come on, you kicked butt and saved the day. What are you upset about?
Rapunzel: Eugene, today, I turned my back on a desperate friend in need, I sent the man I love to face possible death, and then did the same to my oldest friend. I entrusted the entire welfare of Corona to a fairytale. In a lot of ways, today was the most difficult day of my life.
Eugene: Sweetheart, what are you saying?
Rapunzel: I'm not sure I want to be queen.
Eugene: Hey, Rapunzel. I know today was overwhelming, and I can't say I wouldn't be feeling the same way, but you becoming queen is a long time away. Just know that when that time comes, no matter what you decide, I will be right here with you.
Rapunzel: Thank you for bringing my parents home.
Eugene: Hey...you got it.
Rapunzel: Eugene, today, I turned my back on a desperate friend in need, I sent the man I love to face possible death, and then did the same to my oldest friend. I entrusted the entire welfare of Corona to a fairytale. In a lot of ways, today was the most difficult day of my life.
Eugene: Sweetheart, what are you saying?
Rapunzel: I'm not sure I want to be queen.
Eugene: Hey, Rapunzel. I know today was overwhelming, and I can't say I wouldn't be feeling the same way, but you becoming queen is a long time away. Just know that when that time comes, no matter what you decide, I will be right here with you.
Rapunzel: Thank you for bringing my parents home.
Eugene: Hey...you got it.
—Tangled: The Series, "Queen For a Day"
You put so much pressure on yourself to be good, but you're good enough.
— Webby, DuckTales (2017), "A Nightmare on Killmotor Hill!"
You're worth more than what you can give to other people. You deserve love, too.
— Mara, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, "Heart Part 1"
Spongebob: There it is. The finest eating establishment ever established for eating. The Krusty Krab, home of the Krabby Patty. With a "help wanted" sign in the window! For years I've been dreaming of this moment! I'm going to go in there, march straight to the manager, look 'em straight in the eye, lay it on the line and... I can't do this! [turns around and tries to run back home] P-Patrick!
Patrick: Where do you think you're going?
Spongebob: I was just—
Patrick: No, you're not. You're going to the Krusty Krab and get! that! job!
Spongebob: I can't! Can't you see, I'm not good enough!
Patrick: “Not good enough?” Whose first words were "may I take your order?"
Spongebob: Mine were.
Patrick: Who made a spatula out of toothpicks in woodshop?
Spongebob: I did.
Patrick: Who's a... hngh! Who's... [strains really hard] Who's a big yellow cube with holes!
Spongebob: I am!
Patrick: Who's ready?
Spongebob: I'm ready!
Patrick: Who's ready?!
Spongebob: I'm ready!
Patrick: Who's ready?!
Spongebob: I'M READY!
Patrick: Where do you think you're going?
Spongebob: I was just—
Patrick: No, you're not. You're going to the Krusty Krab and get! that! job!
Spongebob: I can't! Can't you see, I'm not good enough!
Patrick: “Not good enough?” Whose first words were "may I take your order?"
Spongebob: Mine were.
Patrick: Who made a spatula out of toothpicks in woodshop?
Spongebob: I did.
Patrick: Who's a... hngh! Who's... [strains really hard] Who's a big yellow cube with holes!
Spongebob: I am!
Patrick: Who's ready?
Spongebob: I'm ready!
Patrick: Who's ready?!
Spongebob: I'm ready!
Patrick: Who's ready?!
Spongebob: I'M READY!
— Spongebob Squarepants, "Help Wanted"
Uncle Iroh: Someone new must take the throne. An idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honour. It must be you, Prince Zuko.
Prince Zuko: "Unquestionable honour"? But I've made so many mistakes!
Uncle Iroh: Yes. You have. You struggled. You suffered. But you have always followed your own path. You've restored your own honour. And only you can restore the honour of the Fire Nation.
Prince Zuko: "Unquestionable honour"? But I've made so many mistakes!
Uncle Iroh: Yes. You have. You struggled. You suffered. But you have always followed your own path. You've restored your own honour. And only you can restore the honour of the Fire Nation.
— Avatar: The Last Airbender, "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters"
Zaheer: You have all the power in the world and the freedom to use it, but you choose to hold yourself down.
Korra: I'm not holding myself down, but my powers have limits!
Zaheer: You're wrong. That poison should've killed you, but you were able to fight it off. You think your power has limits; I say it's limitless.
Korra: I'm not holding myself down, but my powers have limits!
Zaheer: You're wrong. That poison should've killed you, but you were able to fight it off. You think your power has limits; I say it's limitless.
— The Legend of Korra, "Beyond the Wilds"
"It's... hard when you can't trust yourself. I spent my whole life believing I was doing something good, for someone good. But it was a lie. And some part of me still wants to believe in that lie. Just like you wanna believe you're dumb or whatever. But it's not true."
— Hunter, to Gus Porter, The Owl House, "Labyrinth Runners"
Luz: (distraught) My whole plan fell apart, I messed up again! (angrily throws away her Good Witch Azura hat)
Camila: What are you talking about?
Luz: It doesn't matter.
Camila: No, mija, it does matter. You don't want to leave the Demon Realm, do you?
Luz: Of course not! But-
Camila: You keep messing up? Messing up is a part of living. You don't think I've ever messed up before? Ha! Okay, well, once I scheduled my wisdom tooth surgery the day before my wedding. Then there was that time I got road rage and didn't realize I was cursing out your new principal. And, you know, I sold energy drinks for a pyramid scheme for three years! (tearing up) And of course, I was convinced that we should move to Gravesfield to be closer to that fancy hospital... you know how that ended. And worst of all, I didn't stand up for you when you needed me most. I forgot about the Astral Oath.
Luz: (surprised) The what?
Camila: (walking over to Luz's hat) The Astral Oath is a promise made between Captain Avery and his family, to love and protect each other just as they are, through supernovas and solar winds.
(Camila picks up the witch hat)
Luz: Mom... are you a secret nerd?
(Luz is now smiling widely as Camila returns with her hat and puts it back on her head)
Camila: I had a hard time growing up. I was afraid you would too. My biggest mistake was trying to protect you by changing this beautiful Good Witch into something she wasn’t.
Camila: What are you talking about?
Luz: It doesn't matter.
Camila: No, mija, it does matter. You don't want to leave the Demon Realm, do you?
Luz: Of course not! But-
Camila: You keep messing up? Messing up is a part of living. You don't think I've ever messed up before? Ha! Okay, well, once I scheduled my wisdom tooth surgery the day before my wedding. Then there was that time I got road rage and didn't realize I was cursing out your new principal. And, you know, I sold energy drinks for a pyramid scheme for three years! (tearing up) And of course, I was convinced that we should move to Gravesfield to be closer to that fancy hospital... you know how that ended. And worst of all, I didn't stand up for you when you needed me most. I forgot about the Astral Oath.
Luz: (surprised) The what?
Camila: (walking over to Luz's hat) The Astral Oath is a promise made between Captain Avery and his family, to love and protect each other just as they are, through supernovas and solar winds.
(Camila picks up the witch hat)
Luz: Mom... are you a secret nerd?
(Luz is now smiling widely as Camila returns with her hat and puts it back on her head)
Camila: I had a hard time growing up. I was afraid you would too. My biggest mistake was trying to protect you by changing this beautiful Good Witch into something she wasn’t.
"You didn't make anything worse, you didn't do anything wrong... You guys mean the world to me and I-I didn't know how to say that yet. Just please, don't call yourself that [a half-a-witch] ever again... you've been holding in a lot, haven't you?"
— Hunter, to Willow Park, The Owl House, "For the Future"
Real Life
"You are an extremely unique and individual person, so I'm telling you; don't let those invalid opinions of others just bring you to the pits. Okay? You're strong, so own it. Love, me."
If you have a bad thought about yourself, tell it to go to Hell because that is exactly where it came from.
