The Perks of Being a Wallflower Quotes About Depression, Love, and More

The Perks of Being a Wallflower spoke to fans worldwide about the trials and tribulations of being a teenager. To reminisce over the book and the movie, check out The Perks of Being a Wallflower quotes below!

What’s better: the film adaptation or the book? 

Written by Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower was released in 1999. The book follows high school freshman Charlie as he attends a new school and deals with the traumas of his past.

The book exploded in popularity when its film adaptation was released in 2012, starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is now considered a New York Times Bestselling Novel. 

Check out the quotes below to relive Charlie’s story. 

Don’t forget to also check out these classic The Sandlot quotes from Ham, Smalls, and more.

Powerful Perks of Being a Wallflower quotes

1. “Things change, friends leave. And life doesn’t stop for anybody.” ― Stephen Chbosky

2. “I was suddenly very aware of the fact it was me standing up in that tunnel with the wind over my face. Not caring if I saw downtown. Not even thinking about it. Because I was standing in the tunnel. And I was really there. And that was enough to make me feel infinite.” ― Stephen Chbosky

3. “So I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we’ll never know most of them. But even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.” ― Stephen Chbosky

4. “He’s a wallflower. You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand.” ― Stephen Chbosky

5. “Try to be a filter, not a sponge.” ― Stephen Chbosky

6. “It’s much easier not to know things sometimes.” – Stephen Chbosky

7. “Sam and Patrick looked at me. And I looked at them. And I think they knew. Not anything specific really. They just knew. And I think that’s all you can ever ask from a friend.” – Stephen Chbosky

8. “Maybe it’s good to put things in perspective, but sometimes, I think that the only perspective is to really be there.” – Stephen Chbosky

9. “In the silence, I remembered this one time that I never told anybody about. The time we were walking. Just the three of us. And I was in the middle…I just remember walking between them and feeling for the first time that I belonged somewhere.” ― Stephen Chbosky

10. “This moment will just be another story someday.” ― Stephen Chbosky

11. “Charlie. Please don’t take this the wrong way. I’m not trying to make you feel uncomfortable. I just want you to know that you’re special…and the only reason I’m telling you is that I don’t know if anyone else ever has.” ― Stephen Chbosky

12. “Sometimes people use thought to not participate in life.” – Stephen Chbosky

13. “Enjoy it. Because it’s happening.” – Stephen Chbosky

Perks of Being a Wallflower quotes about depression and sadness

14. “She wasn’t bitter. She was sad, though. But it was a hopeful kind of sad. The kind of sad that just takes time. ” ― Stephen Chbosky
If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of powerful depression quotes that will provide perspective.

15. “So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I’m still trying to figure out how that could be.” – Stephen Chbosky

16. “I hope it’s the kind of second side that he can listen to whenever he drives alone and feel like he belongs to something whenever he’s sad. I hope it can be that for him.” – Stephen Chbosky

17. “I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. Or something like that. I think wanting that is very morbid, but I want it when I get like this. That’s why I’m trying not to think. I just want it all to stop spinning.” – Stephen Chbosky

18. “Not everyone has a sob story, Charlie, and even if they do, it’s no excuse.” – Stephen Chbosky

19. “I just wish that God or my parents or Sam or my sister or someone would just tell me what’s wrong with me. Just tell me how to be different in a way that makes sense. To make this all go away. And disappear.” – Stephen Chbosky

Relatable Perks of Being a Wallflower quotes

20. “Everyone else is either asleep or having sex. I’ve been watching cable television and eating jello.” – Stephen Chbosky

21. “I really think that everyone should have watercolors, magnetic poetry, and a harmonica.” ― Stephen Chbosky

22. “I love Twinkies, and the reason I am saying that is because we are all supposed to think of reasons to live.” – Stephen Chbosky

23. “And we kept dancing. It was the one time all day that I really wanted the clock to stop. And just be there for a long time.” – Stephen Chbosky

24. “It’s strange to think of your teachers as being people.” – Stephen Chbosky

Perks of Being a Wallflower quotes about love

25. “You can’t just sit there and put everyone’s lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love. You just can’t. You have to do things.” ― Stephen Chbosky

26. “We accept the love we think we deserve.” ― Stephen Chbosky

27. “I just think it’s bad when a boy looks at a girl and thinks that the way he sees her is better than she actually is. And I think it’s bad when the most honest way a boy can look at a girl is through a camera.” ― Stephen Chbosky

28. “And I guess I realized at that moment that I really did love her. Because there was nothing to gain, and that didn’t matter.” ― Stephen Chbosky

29. “And she kissed me. And it was the kind of kiss that I could never tell my friends about out loud. It was the kind of kiss that made me know that I was never so happy in my whole life.” ― Stephen Chbosky

30. “After that, I couldn’t believe that Sam actually got me a present because I honestly thought that the “I love you” was it.” ― Stephen Chbosky

31. “I am very interested and fascinated by how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other.” ― Stephen Chbosky

32. “It’s just that I don’t want to be somebody’s crush. If somebody likes me, I want them to like the real me, not what they think I am. And I don’t want them to carry it around inside. I want them to show me, so I can feel it too.” ― Stephen Chbosky

33. “I love Sam. It’s not a movie kind of love either. I just look at her sometimes, and I think she is the prettiest and nicest person in the world.” ― Stephen Chbosky

Perks of Being a Wallflower quotes from the movie by Charlie (Logan Lerman)

34. “I saw this tree. But it was a dragon. Then it was a tree again. It just lied to me.” – Charlie Kelmeckis (Logan Lerman)

35. “Dear Friend, I’m sorry I haven’t written in a while, but I’ve been trying hard not to be a loser.” – Charlie Kelmeckis (Logan Lerman)

36. “Sam, do you think if people knew how crazy you really were, no one would ever talk to you?” – Charlie Kelmeckis (Logan Lerman)

37. “Touch my friends again and I’ll blind you.” – Charlie Kelmeckis (Logan Lerman)

38. “There’s nothing like the deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for all the right reasons.” – Charlie Kelmeckis (Logan Lerman)

39. “High school? Bullshit. The cafeteria is called the Nutrition Center; people wear their letter jackets even when it’s 98 degrees out. And why do they give out letter jackets to marching band? It’s not a sport. We all know it.” – Charlie Kelmeckis (Logan Lerman)

40. “You’re not small, you’re beautiful.” – Charlie Kelmeckis (Logan Lerman)

Perks of Being a Wallflower quotes from the movie by Sam Sutton and Patrick Stewart (Emma Watson and Ezra Miller)

41. “I dare you to kiss the prettiest girl in the room on the lips. And notice I charitably said girl and not person because let’s face it, I’d smoke all you bitches.” – Patrick Stewart (Ezra Miller)

42. “Either you call me Patrick or nothing.” – Patrick Stewart (Ezra Miller)

43. “You know, I used to be popular before Sam got me some good music.” – Patrick Stewart (Ezra Miller)

44. “Be aggressive! Passive-aggressive!” – Patrick Stewart (Ezra Miller)

45. “My life is officially an after school special.” – Patrick Stewart (Ezra Miller)

46. “Welcome to the island of misfit toys.” – Sam Sutton (Emma Watson)

47. “Suck it, virginity pledges, suck it!” – Patrick Stewart (Ezra Miller)

48. “C’mon. Let’s go be psychos together!” – Sam Sutton (Emma Watson)

49. “Can Charlie come out and play?” – Patrick Stewart (Ezra Miller)

50. “C minus, ladies and gentlemen! I am below average!” – Patrick Stewart (Ezra Miller)

More Perks of Being a Wallflower quotes

51. “I would die for you. But I won’t live for you.” – Stephen Chbosky

52. “We didn’t talk about anything heavy or light. We were just there together. And that was enough.” – Stephen Chbosky

53. “Please believe that things are good with me, and even when they’re not, they will be soon enough. And I will always believe the same about you.” – Stephen Chbosky

54. “And even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn’t really change the fact that you have what you have. Good and bad.” – Stephen Chbosky

55. “If you care about somebody, you should want them to be happy. Even if you wind up being left out.” – Stephen Chbosky

56. “To tell you the truth, I’ve just been avoiding everything.” – Stephen Chbosky

57. “Maybe these are my glory days, and I’m not even realizing it because they involve a ball.” – Stephen Chbosky

58. “I’m going to do what I want to do. I’m going to be who I really am. And I’m going to figure out what that is.” – Stephen Chbosky

59. “Every person has to live his or her own life and then make the choice to share it with other people.” – Stephen Chbosky

60. “I was very grateful to have heard it again. Because I guess we all forget sometimes. And I think everyone is special in their own way. I really do.” – Stephen Chbosky

How did you enjoy your high school experience? 

High school was one of the roughest times of my life. Now that graduation is long gone, I have a few pieces of advice for anyone who may currently be in high school. 

Although it’s difficult to see when you’re in it, there is life beyond high school. Things like football games, popularity, and dances don’t matter much once you’ve gotten your diploma. Remember not to take it all too seriously. 

Most importantly, don’t be afraid to follow your interests. Whether you’re a social butterfly, a wallflower, or someone in between, do what makes you happy. 

Which of these The Perks of Being a Wallflower quotes and lines is your favorite? Let us know below!