Month: December 2015

“It’s a Festivus miracle!”

From: Seinfeld

Genre: Television

Who said it?: A lot of the the cast!

The story behind the quote: We’ve already noted in a previous post that Seinfeld has a lot of memorable quotes. So… here’s another one! And I chose the most appropriate quote just for the holiday season!

The quote comes from the Seinfeld episode entitled “The Strike.” In the episode, Frank Costanza (played by Jerry Stiller) tells Kramer (played by Michael Richards) about the holiday he created called Festivus, a holiday “for the rest of us.” Jerry and the gang try to use the Festivus dinner as a means to escape other people but, unfortunately, Kramer keeps on telling people where they’re going to be. Whenever these people do find Jerry and his friends, Kramer yells out the quote.

Geek wisdom: No matter what religion you celebrate, or if you practice any religion or faith-based belief at all, this is still the time for everyone to come together and practice a little good cheer. At the very least, try to get along with the entire world at this time of the year. Besides, wouldn’t the world be a better place if we just tried to have peace even if it is just for a couple of days?

“You underestimate the power of the Dark Side. If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny.”

From: Return of the Jedi

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Darth Vader

The story behind the quote: To commemorate the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it seems only fitting that we focus on a quote from one of the original Star Wars films. This week’s quote comes from Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. More specifically, the final battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

Luke tries to reason with his father, Darth Vader. He reasons that Vader wasn’t able to bring himself to kill his son before, so there’s no way he’ll be able to do it now. This is when Vader delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom: There are actually two pieces of Geek Wisdom we can pick from the quote.

First, the power of darkness is easy to underestimate and can overcome you without you even knowing it. In fact, evil can be downright enticing and captivating! So much so that even the nicest of people can succumb to its allure. It’s human nature. We have to be really strong to not get sucked in.

The second piece of Geek Wisdom actually comes from the second part of the quote. The only thing evil has to happen in order to succeed is for good people to do nothing. We have to be able and ready to fight back when we see injustice happening around us.

“The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.”

From: Star Wars

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Obi-Wan Kenobi

The story behind the quote: With Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens soon to be released in theaters, it only seems appropriate we mention a few quotes from the original Star Wars films. Hopefully, we’ll get a new bunch of memorable lines in the new Star Wars films. Lines where we can pick up a few pieces of Geek Wisdom as well!

This week’s quote comes from Episode IV: A New Hope. Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Alec Guinness) had just rescued Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill) from a group of Sand People. Obi-Wan gives Luke his birthright, his lightsaber, and explains what happens to Luke’s father, a former Jedi Knight, peacekeepers trained to use The Force. Luke then asks Obi-Wan what exactly is The Force is, which is when Obi-Wan delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom:  We are all connected to each other somehow. In one way or another, whatever we do will impact the decisions others will do. This means that, even the smallest and seemingly most unimportant choices we make, can make a huge difference in others. Try to make sure your choices are the right ones for the betterment of everyone.

“Dude, sucking at sumthin’ is the first step towards being sorta good at something.”

From: Adventure Time

Genre: Cartoons, Television

Who said it?: Jake the Dog

The story behind the quote: This will be my second quote from Cartoon Network’s big hit Adventure Time. The show follows the adventures of Finn the Human and Jake the Dog in the Land of Ooo. The show has gained a huge following of not only kids, but adults as well due to its silly humor and as it has the guts to throw in some jokes/situations that only grown-up would appreciate

The quote came from the Season 1 episode, “His Hero.” In the episode, Finn and Jake meet with Billy, who is supposed to be the greatest warrior who ever lived. Billy tells the heroes that, as the villains just keep on returning, they should try helping people using non-violent means. Unfortunately, Finn and Jake aren’t very good at it. This is when Jake delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom: It’s easy to give up when you try something new. Whether it be picking up an instrument or trying to learn a new skill, you’ll probably not be very good at it. And it can be easy to get frustrated and give up. But no one said learning something new is going to be easy all the time.

It takes practice to become really proficient at something. The only way to get good at something is to actually do it and to keep on doing it until it becomes second nature to you.