A couple of weekends ago, three of my roommates and I were sitting in our apartment watching “Good Will Hunting.” After the movie ended, the conversation somehow got onto the topic of protagonists and how we’re hard-pressed to find a protagonist that we like more than the supporting characters. We determined that the reason is because supporting characters tend to be more intricate and developed, whereas the protagonist in a story is usually an overused trope. Here are seven inspirational quotes from supporting characters in books, television and film.
1. “No one could possibly understand the depths of you, but you presume to know everything about me because you saw a painting of mine, and you ripped my f***ing life apart. You’re an orphan right? You think I know the first thing about how hard your life has been, how you feel, who you are, because I read Oliver Twist? Does that encapsulate you?” – Sean Maguire, “Good Will Hunting”
Although Robin Williams’ monologue as Maguire was longer, these simple lines resonated with me. We all go through life assuming that we know other people before they open their mouths and say something to us, and even after they do speak, we still think that we can fully understand their experiences. It’s a good reminder that just because we can sympathize for someone, doesn’t mean that we can also empathize with them.
2. “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.” – Albus Dumbledore, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”
I love Dumbledore’s quote because it reaffirms the belief that people have choices and these choices influence where we end up in life. Life is not up to chance and although many people start in the same place, they can end up in different circumstances if they let their obstacles change them for the worse. The bottom line is that we always have a choice even if it isn’t the easiest one.
3. “Family don’t end with blood, boy.” – Bobby Singer, “Supernatural”
Singer’s quote is simple, but is one to live by when we consider our families. People have a propensity to become preoccupied with convention and lose sight of the fact that family can be found anywhere.
4. “Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.” – Joan Clarke, “The Imitation Game”
People who cannot see beyond the differences of others oftentimes miss how unique qualities are what make society develop and prosper. If everyone was identical, then there would not be an original thought and we would miss countless opportunities for growth.
5. “You can’t just sit there and put everybody’s lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love.” – Sam, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is one of my favorite films and books, and I consider Sam's quote to be at the top of my favorites in the film. Sam’s insistence that love isn’t about disregarding oneself is incredibly important and often misunderstood. We can love someone with all that we have, but if we don’t consider ourselves, then if they leave, everything that we know about ourselves will go with that person.
6. “Fear of death is what keeps us alive.” – Leonard H. “Bones” McCoy, “Star Trek Beyond”
McCoy’s belief was in response to Spock’s assertion that fear of death is illogical. I agree with Bones because it is important to fear death to a degree. Although we should not let fear inhibit us from living, understanding the severity of death and its finality is what can motivate people to continue trying new things while also not putting themselves in danger.
7. “A faith of convenience is a hollow faith.” – Father Mulcahy, “M*A*S*H”
Mulcahy is one of my favorite characters on "M*A*S*H" because of his resounding faith throughout the Korean War despite the horrors that come in and out of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. It is easy for the men in the "M*A*S*H" unit to only have faith when their lives are in danger — as it is for us when our lives are threatened —, but we must remember to keep faith in the bad times and the good, lest we take the good times for granted.
These quotes are inspirational in different ways, but they all serve as a reminder that life is complex and greater than we can ever hope to comprehend. It is crucial to remember that how we got here and how we view circumstances is inconsequential if we lose sight of the fact that there is always something more waiting to be discovered.
