4. On Courage and Survival

When Morty is first exposed to an alien world that Rick visits regularly, he panics. But Rick attempts to appease Morty’s nerves with this speech about facing unfamiliar situations:

“Alright, alright, calm down. Listen to me, Morty. I know that new situations can be intimidating. You looking around and it’s all scary and different, but you know, meeting them head-on, charging into them like a bull — that’s how we grow as people. I’m no stranger to scary situations; I deal with them all the time.” (Pilot)

But as Rick says this, a monster charges right at them which makes Rick say, “Holy crap, Morty, run! Run for your life, Morty, run!”

So even when you know that you should face new situations with courage, you can’t always help running away to survive. And sometimes, that’s okay.

3. On Getting Your Shit Together

If you’re feeling really negative about whatever it is you’re being negative about, Morty has wise words to say:

“Well, then get your shit together. Get it all together and put it in a backpack, all your shit, so it’s together. And if you gotta take it somewhere, take it somewhere, you know? Take it to the shit store and sell it, or put it in a shit museum. I don’t care what you do. You just gotta get it together. Get your shit together.” (Big Trouble in Little Sanchez)

There’s nothing about the quote that’s deep and insightful, but it’s pretty damn motivating.

2. On Love

“Listen, Morty, I hate to break it to you but what people call “love” is just a chemical reaction that compels animals to breed. It hits hard, Morty, then it slowly fades, leaving you stranded in a failing marriage. I did it. Your parents are gonna do it. Break the cycle, Morty. Rise above. Focus on science.” (Rick Potion No. 9)

Yes, it’s a cynical view as expected of Rick. But it proves that Rick, skeptical and intellectual as he is, experienced love once in his life. He openly admits that he was once in love (to those updated with the show, we see a glimpse of this in the beginning of the third season) but it didn’t work out for him, leaving him bitter. Saying these to Morty was his attempt to save Morty from that eventual heartbreak.

But then again, it’s always a person’s choice to love. It’s just inevitable that relationships can fail, and if you aren’t prepared for that possibility, then it’s better to not be in love at all.

1. On Rick’s Catchphrase

Throughout the show, Rick would frequently yell out “Wubba lubba dub dub!” And at first, we shrug it off as a random Rick thing, until we find out later on that it means “Please help me, I am in great pain.”

And for the smartest person in the universe to say that, it dawns on you that brains and power aren’t everything. Intellects like Rick are more susceptible to misery than most because they understand the mysteries and tragedies of the world more. So while Rick always acts like a huge asshole, we try to sympathize because he has his own battles to face — and that applies to all the cynical assholes we meet in real life.

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