8 Quotes from “Say Anything” That Teach Us How to Rock at Life

A 35-year-old version of Lloyd Dobler from the movie Say Anything is my total dream man.

All passionate, and kind, and genuine, and funny, and full of heart. *Swooooon.*  A version of him is out there somewhere, just waiting for me with his boombox and sweet hopeful smile… ah.

Say Anything is pretty much perfection. I love it so so very much. It’s not only got everything great about the 80′s coming-of-age flicks, but it is also arguably one of the most quotable movies ever.

But that’s just, like, my opinion, man.

Here are 8 quotes from this awesome movie that teach us how to rock at life:

Lloyd Dobler: How many of them really know what they want, though? I mean, a lot of them think they have to know, right? But inside they don’t really know, so… I don’t know, but I know that I don’t know.
I wish that I knew that I didn’t know when I was eighteen!  In order to find the answers to life’s big questions, we must first know that there are indeed questions to be answered.  Three very precious words are the gateway to all knowledge - I don’t know.

Lloyd Dobler: You must chill. You must chill.
Wigging out has never accomplished anything, plus it’s really obnoxious.  Don’t be a spaz.  Breathe deep, stay calm, and think clear.

Lloyd Dobler: I am looking for a dare to be great situation.
Ah, I love this one!  It makes me wanna do a fistpump!  I am looking for a life to be remembered. A life that improves the lives that surround it. A life that expands my soul.  It feels empowering just to say it, “I am looking for a dare to be great situation”.  BOOM!  Espavo!  Mediocrity is not something we have to accept – and the world benefits most from those who refuse to.

Constance: There’s no food in your food!
Joan Cusak is so wise.  I wish she were my older sister. Processed food is hard for our bodies to extract nutrition from (if it has any to begin with).  It’s best to not eat anything with ingredients too long and crazy to pronounce.  The fewer and simpler the ingredients, the better.

Lloyd: I don’t want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career.  I don’t want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed.  You know, as a career, I don’t want to do that.
Sometimes it feels like those are the only options in this crazy ass society, but there’s more, there really is!  What do you love?  What makes time fly?  When do you feel ‘in the flow’?  Tenaciously pursue that thing with all of your heart – and answer phones, or deliver pizza, or whatever hustle you can rustle – until you can make some dough doing what you love.

Lloyd: She gave me a pen.  I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen.
Pens are important tools that show us that we have the power to create the life we want, and that the world is just our blank page.  Nah, I’m totally kidding! This is just a really great quote, and I couldn’t bear to leave it out.

Lloyd: Why can’t you be in a good mood?  How hard is it to decide to be in a good mood and be in a good mood once in a while?
It’s easy to forget that we have control over the thoughts we think, which yield the emotions we feel.  We can choose to be in a good mood and enjoy the day, regardless of the circumstances.  What’s the worst thing that could happen if you chose to focus on the positive instead of having yourself a pity party?

Diane Court: Nobody thinks it will work, do they?
Lloyd Dobler: No. You just described every great success story.
Challenging society’s norms, taking risks, and daring to defy others’ expectations is the only way anything great has ever been done.  Follow your heart and screw what other people think!