Sam Esmail > Quotes

“Krista asks,"What is it about society that disappoints you so much?"

Elliot thinks, "Oh I don't know, is it that we collectively thought Steve Jobs was a great man even when we knew he made billions off the backs of children?

Or maybe it's that it feels like all our heroes are counterfeit; the world itself's just one big hoax. Spamming each other with our burning commentary of bullshit masquerading as insight, our social media faking as intimacy.

Or is it that we voted for this? Not with our rigged elections, but with our things, our property, our money.
I'm not saying anything new. We all know why we do this, not because Hunger Games books makes us happy but because we wanna be sedated. Because it's painful not to pretend, because we're cowards.

Fuck Society."

"Mr. Robot" season 1 episode 1, 'ohellofriend.mov”
― Sam Esmail

“What I'm about to tell you is top secret. A conspiracy bigger than all of us. There's a powerful group of people out there that are secretly running the world. I'm talking about the guys no one knows about, the ones that are invisible. The top 1% of the top 1%, the guys that play God without permission. And now I think they're following me.”
― Sam Esmail

“Oh, I don't know. Is it that we collectively thought Steve Jobs was a great man, even when we knew he made billions off the backs of children? Or maybe it's that it feels like all our heroes are counterfeit? The world itself's just one big hoax. Spamming each other with our running commentary of bulls**t, masquerading as insight, our social media faking as intimacy. Or is it that we voted for this? Not with our rigged elections, but with our things, our property, our money. I'm not saying anything new. We all know why we do this, not because Hunger Games books makes us happy, but because we wanna be sedated. Because it's painful not to pretend, because we're cowards.”
― Sam Esmail

“This whole time I thought changing the world was something you did, an act you perform, something you fought for. I don't know if that's true anymore.

What if changing the world was just about being here, by showing up, no matter how many times we get told we don't belong, by staying true even when we're shamed into being false.

By believing in ourselves even when we're told we're too different, and if we all held onto that, if we refuse to budge and fall in line, if we stood our ground for long enough, just maybe, the world can't help but change around us.

-Mr Robot Season 4, episode 13”
― Sam Esmail

“Is any of it real? I mean look at this. Look at it! A world built on fantasy. Synthetic emotions in the form of pills. Psychological warfare in the form of advertising. Mind-altering chemicals in the form of...food! Brainwashing seminars in teh form of media. Controlled isolated bubbles in the form of social networks. Real? You want to talk about reality? We haven't lived in anything remotely close to it since the turn of the century.

We turned it off, took out the batteries, snacked on a back of GMO's while we tossed the remnants in the ever-expanding dumpster of the human condition. We live in branded houses trademarked by corporations built on bipolar numbers jumping up and down on digital displays, hypnotizing us into the biggest slumber mankind has ever seen. You have to dig pretty deep before you can find anything real. We live in a kingdom of bullshit. A kingdom you've lived in for far too long. So don't tell me about not being real. I'm no less real than the fucking beef patty in your Big Mac.”
― Sam Esmail

“Is that what God does?
He helps?
Tell me,
why didn't God help
my innocent friend
who died for no reason
while the guilty roam free?
Okay, fine.
Forget the one-offs.
How about the countless wars
declared in his name?
Okay, fine.
Let's skip the random,
meaningless murder for a second,
shall we?

How about the racist,
sexist, phobia soup
we've all been drowning in
because of him?
And I'm not just
talking about Jesus.
I'm talking about all
organized religion...
Exclusive groups
created to manage control,
a dealer getting people hooked
on the drug of hope,
his followers
nothing but addicts
who want their hit of bullshit
to keep their...

Their dopamine of ignorance,
addicts afraid
to believe the truth...
That there is no order,
there's no power,
that all religions are just
metastasizing mind worms
meant to divide us
so it's easier to rule us
by the charlatans
that want to run us.

All we are to them
are paying fanboys
of their poorly written
sci-fi franchise.

If I don't listen
to my imaginary friend,
why the fuck should
I listen to yours?

People think their worship's
some key to happiness.
That's just how he owns you.

Even I'm not crazy enough
to believe that
distortion of reality.

So fuck God.

He's not a good enough
scapegoat for me.”
― Sam Esmail, Mr. Robot 1x01 Pilot Screenplay

“Is any of it real? I mean, look at this, look at it! A world built on fantasy! Synthetic emotions in the form of pills! Psychological warfare in the form of advertising! Mind altering chemicals in the form of food! Brainwashing seminars in the form of media! Controlled isolated bubbles in the form of social networks. Real? You want to talk about reality? We haven't lived in anything remotely close to it since the turn of the century! We turned it off, took out the batteries, snacked on a bag of GMOs, while we tossed the remnants into the ever expanding dumpster of the human condition. We live in branded houses, trademarked by corporations, built on bipolar numbers, jumping up and down on digital displays, hypnotizing us into the biggest slumber mankind has ever seen. You'd have to dig pretty deep, kiddo, before you can find anything real.”
― Sam Esmail