25 “The Outsiders” Quotes from the Unforgettable Coming-of-Age Novel

This “The Outsiders” quote collection will inspire you to always “stay gold” despite your difficulties, even if the odds are against you.

Coming-of-age stories like “The Outsiders” leave a lasting impression.

They poignantly describe how young people journey from innocence to the stark realities of life.

“The Outsiders” quotes will resonate in the hearts of readers and filmgoers who have read and seen the novel by teenage author S.E. Hinton in 1967.

The film was directed by iconic screenwriter and filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola in 1983. 

These quotes take us inside the chaotic world of teenagers who fought their demons with a tough exterior to survive.

Yet underneath layers of roughness, cynicism, and indifference hide a romantic and pure heart.

We also have a list of “48 Laws of Power” quotes that will inspire you to succeed.

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Memorable “The Outsiders” quotes

1. “Firey, huh? Just the way I like them!” ― The Outsiders

2. “Get smart and nothing can touch you.” ― The Outsiders

3. “Are you a real red head? Are you real?” ― The Outsiders

4. “But I don’t wanna die now. It ain’t long enough.” ― The Outsiders

5. “I used to watch them, too, before I got so busy.” ― The Outsiders

6. “The fighting and the killing. It doesn’t prove a thing.” ― The Outsiders  

7. “And when you ain’t got nothing, you end up like Dallas.” ― The Outsiders

8. “He can get drunk in a drag race or dancing without ever getting near alcohol.” ― The Outsiders

9. “I think I like it better when the old man’s hittin’ me. At least he knows I’m there.” ― The Outsiders

10. “It’s not money, it’s feeling. You don’t feel anything and we feel too violently.” ― The Outsiders

Famous “The Outsiders” quotes

11. “Let’s do it for Johnny!” ― The Outsiders

12. “So many damn things I ain’t seen or done.” ― The Outsiders

13. “When you’re a kid everything is new, dawn.” ― The Outsiders

14. “You know the rules. No jazz before a rumble.” ― The Outsiders

15. “Like the way you dig sunsets, Pony. That’s gold.” ― The Outsiders

16. “When I was young, I read everything, including cereal boxes and coffee labels.” ― The Outsiders

17. “Can you see the sunset real good on the West side? You can see it on the East side too.” ― The Outsiders

18. “Robert Frost wrote it. I always remembered it because I never quite knew what he meant.” ― The Outsiders

19. “A guy that’ll really listen to you, listen and care about what you’re saying, is something rare.” ― The Outsiders

20. “Greasers will still be greasers and Socs will still be Socs. Sometimes I think it’s the ones in the middle that are really the lucky stiffs.” ― The Outsiders

“The Outsiders” quotes to inspire you

21. “I keep getting tireder and tireder.” ― The Outsiders

22. “Dally was so real he scared me.” ― The Outsiders

23. “Don’t you know a rumble ain’t a rumble unless I’m in it?” ― The Outsiders

24. “Darry thinks his life is enough without inspecting other people’s.” ― The Outsiders

25. “Greaser didn’t have anything to do with it. My buddy over there wouldn’t have done it. Maybe you would have done the same thing, maybe a friend of yours wouldn’t have. It’s the individual.” ― The Outsiders

What did you learn from “The Outsiders” quotes?

“The Outsiders” was a box-office hit in 1983 starring now-famous actors Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, C. Thomas Howell, Leif Garrett, and Patrick Swayze.

Chaos and poetry

The beauty in “The Outsiders” quotes lies in the way the boys’ confusion about life’s injustice and inequality as well as their hopes for better things to come were described through poetic references from classics such as Robert Frost’s prose.

When Johnny told Ponyboy to “stay gold” referring to the Frost poem they read together at the empty church when they were hiding from authorities, it was one of the most heartrending moments in the story.

Poignant lesson

If there’s one important takeaway from “The Outsiders”, it’s to always “stay gold” despite our difficulties even if the odds are against us. 

That’s how we conquer the impossible.

And yes, As Dallas said, “Let’s do it for Johnny.”

What’s your biggest takeaway from these “The Outsiders” quotes and lines?

Do you have any other favorite quotes to add?

Let us know in the comment section below.

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