You: 10 Best Joe Goldberg Quotes

Besides being an admittedly addictive show about Joe Goldberg’s nightmarish idea of love, Netflix’s You also rewards its viewers with some brilliant dialogue and monologuing from the anti-hero. As Joe navigates his love life dangerously, he has plenty to say, and all his quotes are almost always memorable, completely bonkers, or surprisingly insightful.

For anyone in the know, Joe may be lethal, but he isn’t a dim fellow. He has astute observations about the world, hilarious one-liners that pop up out of nowhere, and some incredible quotes about affection and sacrifice which makes viewers fear what he’s going to do next. Some of which really stand out.

On Being The Destination

“I’m Not A ‘Maybe.’ I’m The One.”

While a part of Joe realized that what he does to women after falling for them was wrong, he stood by the twisted logic that led him to do those things. He truly believed that he was the best man a woman can get, and when he had decided that he’s the one for his muse (to put it lightly), her own choice ceased to hold any meaning for him.

It is this mentality that led him to stalk and creep on unsuspecting women (Beck in this case), make decisions for them, and do some of the worst things ever in the name of supposedly protecting their interests.

Acknowledging Karma And Divine Justice

“The Universe Has A Funny Way Of Keeping Us Humble. That Beating Was Karmic. I Know It. I Did A Bad Thing Today But For A Good Reason, And If There Is Any Justice In The World, You Are The Reward For All Of My Suffering.”

Joe proved that it’s possible to be self-aware yet completely self-deceiving at the same time — in the same breath, that too. After clubbing Peach Salinger across the head, he got beaten up in a terrible way by Claudia’s alcoholic boyfriend and said this to himself.

Yet again, he knew that bludgeoning someone is never fine, but he was also convinced that it was for a good reason so it was right. He may have thought that this was his payback, but the real twist in You was that Beck’s bestie was still alive.

Joe’s Culture Shock

“Love Has Taken Me To Dark Places, But Los Angeles Has Got To Be As Dark As It Gets.”

Having lived in New York for most of his life, Joe was pretty used to his daily routine of going to Mooney’s and his extracurricular activities, but Candace’s arrival made him flee to the one place he detested.

His general disdain towards the world, especially LA’s Hollywood, fame, and yoga-obsessed people was obvious, and he had a chip on his shoulder about his home. He thought himself above everybody in the city, and his misery often unleashed his humorous side.

Getting A Taste Of His Own Medicine

“I Can’t Just Walk Out Of This Web. The Spider Has My Child.”

By virtue of his love for books, Joe was prone to making literary references in daily speech, and it made its way into his relationship as well. Ironically, he hated that his wife was as murderous as he was, and he considered himself and baby Henry entrapped by Love.

Love may have been a villain in You, but it was quite clear that Joe was a lot worse than she was. After neglecting his wife and child, it was really rich of Joe to vilify Love who was caught between an infant and the unforgiving ladies of Madre Linda, even if he did it cleverly.

His Signature Line

“Is He Flirting With Me Or Inviting Me To Fight Club?”

A single line — “Are you flirting with me?” — has become synonymous with the killer, and many memes about Joe have spawned from it. Joe was always on the hunt for his one true love, which led him to believe (mistakenly) that girls were hitting on him.

Things became funny when Joe moved to suburban America and met other dads and husbands, especially Cary, who insisted on inviting him to a manly night out camping with the other guys. He didn’t get along with men because of his past, but Cary’s insistence made him wonder whether he was invited to a manly soiree or something more romantic.

The Pain Of Existence

“All Books Add Up To One Essential Truth, Which Is, If Your IQ Is Above A Certain Number, Life Is Pretty Much Unbearable. And The Number Is Not Even That High.”

There were two philosophies that formed the foundation of Joe’s life, and they were love and literature. He clearly had a superiority complex because of how much he read. So much of his wisdom came from those tomes, and the message was clear — he was better than others.

Having a higher IQ and more intelligence to Joe meant that he was painfully aware of how difficult life could be because of how deeply he thought. In true Joe fashion, even in this incisive observation, there was barely-concealed condescension for other humans.

The Secret To Successful Marriage

“The Spark Our Marriage Needed Doesn’t Come From Swinging. Our Love Language Is Violence.”

Despite being sharp, there were some things that Joe took time to realize. One of them was that people like him and Love weren’t normal, and couple’s therapy couldn’t fix their messed-up marriage.

After a heated chase that led to Sherry and Cary being trapped in the glass cage, Joe and Love had some passionate sex right in the basement of the bakery, leading to this observation that the couple thrived on violence and gore, and little could change that unfortunate fact about them.

All You Need Is Love

“Sometimes, We Do Bad Things For The People We Love. It Doesn’t Mean It’s Right; It Means Love Is More Important.”

What may sound like a Beatles-esque message without context is chilling when it involves Joe. This line sums up his entire personality quite succinctly. The reason why he went from one obsession to the next was because he thought he could fix these women and make their lives better than they ever could, but his love for them made him murder, torture, and intimidate.

Joe’s actions were the very epitome of crimes of passion, and he saw no morality when it came to killing or maiming for the sake of love.

The Search For The One

“There’s One Part Of The Old Me I Can’t Quite Shake. I Still Believe In The One. That The Right Person Is Out There For Me.”

In season 3, audiences saw the passionate killer attempting to turn a new leaf and become a better person. He tried being committed to his wife, protecting his baby, and carrying out his duties as man of the house, but old habits die hard.

Changing his patterns of stalking and murder couldn’t just be broken by marriage and a baby, and his inner monologue showed that he was still on the lookout for “The One” who would fulfill his desires for good, even though that did no good in the past. This harmful behavior never really stopped with Joe and led to the demise of his family.

The Irony Of Cautioning Others

“There Are Scary People In The World, Beck. That’s Why It’s Important To Be Safe.”

In another moment of absolute irony, Joe was heard thinking about how Beck should be careful in a big city like New York because of all the unsavory elements that hung about in the corners. He was convinced that he couldn’t be classified into the same category of criminals because his motivation was seemingly different and pure.

He could caution his muses all he wanted, but he was the biggest danger to them, more than any petty criminal in the streets. His self-deception really came through when he spoke this way.

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