You Can't Wake, I Can't Sleep

Hooker: Think yourself smart. I wish it was me. Take for your head and be who you wanna be.
Alice: But how can I be who I wanna be when I am who I am?
Caterpillar: When memories come back, some you keep and some you trash in the can.
Hooker: You've been dealt the cards, just rearrange the deal.

Cassie: I want you to tell me!

Lawes: What?

Cassie: How to stop bad things happening.

Lawes: Doesn’t work, does it? That’s why you have to start eating again.

Cassie: … I fell in love.

Lawes: Ah, love. Why cut yourself when you can be in love?

Cassie: You think passing an exam will make me happy?

Lawes: Cassie, passing exams generally only makes life more complicated, but there’s lots of other stuff that makes things bearable, and you don’t even have to use a knife.

Cassie: … Like?

Lawes: Disco.

(Then they dance.)

*

I think about this scene pretty much every day of my life. I think it’s my favorite scene ever from a tv show or the one that’s resonated most deeply with me, anyway, because 1. it’s made me feel the most understood and 2. it’s brought me the most comfort. Also, I think it’s kind of the best summing up/illustration of (at least my interpretation of) Zen philosophy that I’ve ever seen in any form of media, and it kind of gets to the heart of the show in that through all of the horrible shit the characters go through, they always ultimately seem to find a way to enjoy life and each other and being in the moment (through being in the moment?)

“Even if you’re unhappy, just pretend that you’re happy. Eventually, your smile will be contagious to yourself. I had to learn that, I used to think, ‘I’m being fake,’ but you know what? Better to be fake and happy than real and miserable.”
- Evangeline Lilly