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
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)
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!
