Victor de la Cruz

“Failure is always an option.”

From: Mythbusters

Genre: Television

Who said it?: Adam Savage and the rest of the Mythbusters crew

The story behind the quote: The quote comes the Discovery Channel show Mythbusters. The show has been on air since 2003 and is set to air its final season this year. Mythbusters is all about taking various myths, movie scenes, idioms, viral internet videos and such, and testing them using scientific methods to see how true they all are by attempting to recreating them.

The quote is sort of the television show’s motto. It’s generally credited to Adam Savage, one of the original Mythbusters along with Jamie Hyneman. It’s been said and mentioned throughout the entire series’ run, especially when something does go wrong.

Geek wisdom: The general public tells us that we can’t make mistakes. But, in actuality, you can. It’s okay to get something wrong at times as it teaches us that it was a mistake. We can learn a lot of things through experiencing not only our successes, but we can obtain knowledge from failure as well.

“This doesn’t seem physically possible!”

From: Red vs. Blue

Genre: Web Series

Who said it?: Capt. Lavernicus Tucker and Pvt. Jimmy

The story behind the quote: Red Vs. Blue is machinima series, which means that is uses video games (in Red vs. Blue’s case, the Halo series on Xbox) instead of using actual actors nor fancy CGI models. RoosterTeeth started making episodes for the series since way back in 2003, making it one of the longest running web series ever.

The quote comes from way back in the series’ first season episode, A Shadow of His Former Self. Church comes back as a ghost (long story) to warn the Blue team about Tex as Church had a really bad experience with the freelancer. Church retells the story of when he was stationed in Sidewinder. He was out in patrol with his partner Jimmy when his entire squad was annihilated by Tex.

According to Church, Tex beat Jimmy to death with his own skull. Of course, Tucker found this incredibly unlikely… which was the exact thing Jimmy was thinking.

Geek wisdom: There are some things that are only impossible if you think they’re impossible. Sure, it can be incredibly difficult but it can still be done as long as you keep at it. A lot of great inventions and the modern conveniences we currently enjoy were built on the things that people thought were “impossible” before, such as the light bulb or little tiny computers that could fit in the palm of our hand. But, thanks to people that question what is impossible, we have these things.

Question what is impossible.

“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.

“We were on a break!”

From: Friends

Genre: Television

Who said it?: Ross Geller

The story behind the quote: This is going to be my third quote from Friends, the hit sitcom from the ’90s. Even if the show did end a little over a year ago, Friends is still being shown in syndication in the United States and various parts of the world.

The quote is actually a recurring gag from the show. Rachel Green (played by Jennifer Aniston) is tired of her boyfriend Ross Gellar’s (played by David Schwimmer’s) continuous bouts of jealousy has finally had enough. She then tell Ross that, maybe, they should “take a break” from the relationship. Ross, thinking that the relationship is over, sleeps with another woman. Ross and Rachel do make up shortly after but, when she finds out that Ross did sleep with someone, the two have a heated argument regarding what it exactly means what being “on a break” means.

Geek wisdom: Both sides do have a legitimate argument to make regarding the situation. That’s because both Ross and Rachel interpreted the situation differently because no clarity was given.Terminologies can get a little squirrely at times. Entire sentences can be interpreted by different persons in different way.

It’s always best to clarify and get details when something is pretty vague.

“I’ll have what she’s having”

From: When Harry Met Sally

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Elderly Deli Patron

The story behind the quote: This line is often mentioned as one of the most memorable lines in film… and it came from a background character!

The quote comes from When Harry Met Sally, a film about two people, Harry (played by Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) and their somewhat long “on and off” relationship. The film generally focuses on how both their become intertwined and how their relationship grows from mere acquaintances to lovers.

The film come from the ever popular Deli scene. Sally mentions that women sometimes fake orgasm, to which Harry mentions that he would be able to tell the difference as to when a woman was faking it or not. Sally then proceeds to moan and scream as she is climaxing. After she’s done, one of the people in the deli, a fairly elderly woman gets the attention of a waiter and delivers the quote

Trivia: The elderly woman who delivers the quote is actually the mother of Rob Reiner, the director and producer of the film.

Geek wisdom: We would like to believe that we would be able to spot when people are lying to us. But, the truth of the matter is, it can be incredibly difficult to do so. Some people have actually become so adept at lying to others that people will easily believe them. Sometimes, it’s best to not be too trusting, especially if something seems to be too good to be true.

“Come on, Mr. Frodo. I can’t carry it for you… but I can carry you!”

From: Samwise “Sam” Gamgee

Genre: Movies/Books

Who said it?: The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the final entry of The Lord of The Rings, The Return of the King. The final chapter closes out Frodo Baggins and his friend Samwise “Sam” Gamgee’s trial/adventure to take the One Ring into Mordor to destroy it by tossing it into the fires of Mount Doom.

The quote comes from near the end of the movie but somewhere in the middle of the book. Frodo and Sam (played in the films by Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, respectively) have entered Mordor and are making the trek to the top of Mount Doom. Tired and exhausted, Frodo collapses. Sam tried to comfort his comrade by telling him about their home. The Shire. However, Frodo only feels paranoia from carrying the One Ring for so long. Sam then makes his decision on how they should press on…

Geek wisdom: You don’t have to go through hardships all by yourself. Friends will support you whenever you have a heavy burden to carry. They may not be able to solve the problem or completely take the load off. However, true friends will be there for you to assist you in whatever way they can.

“We don’t make mistakes; we just have happy accidents.”

From: The Joy of Painting

Genre: Television

Who said it?: Bob Ross

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from way in the past. But it does seem timely as Twitch, the video game streaming site, had just ran a marathon of Bob Ross’ The Joy of Painting television series since October 29. A lot of kids of the ’80s and ’90s grew up watching The Joy of Painting, not because they actually painted, but rather because it was fun watching Bob Ross create a beautiful painting in under 30 minutes. Besides, he just sounded so positive, he made viewers believe they could paint like him if they actually just tried.

The quote is actually a running catchphrase of the show. He would say it frequently to viewers whenever it appears he made an error that ruined the entire painting. The clip below is from the episode aptly titled “Happy Accident” where Bob Ross actually wipes out an entire painting and shows viewers what can be done with it.

Geek wisdom: There are very few mistakes in life that cannot be corrected if you try hard enough. Even seemingly insurmountable problems can have solutions as long as you really take the time to solve it and not give up.

And even if you do make a mistake that is “permanent” and cannot be fixed no matter what you do, there’s still something you can do: learn from it. Take it as a learning experience so that, in the future, you don’t make the same mistake.