--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: During my first few months of…" description: "\"“During my first few months of Facebooking, I discovered that my page had fostered a collective nostalgia for specific cultural icons. These started, u..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ad/george-takei-4192_help-people_during-my-first-few-months-of-facebookin_1922308.jpg" --- # During my first few months of Facebooking, I discovered… ![“During my first few months of Facebooking, I discovered that my page had fostered a collective nostalgia for specific cultural icons. These started, unsurprisingly, within the realm of science fiction and fantasy. They commonly included a pointy-eared Vulcan from a certain groundbreaking 1960s…” quote by George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ad/george-takei-4192_help-people_during-my-first-few-months-of-facebookin_1922308.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ad/george-takei-4192_help-people_during-my-first-few-months-of-facebookin_1922308.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ad/george-takei-4192_help-people_during-my-first-few-months-of-facebookin_1922308.jpg) > ““During my first few months of Facebooking, I discovered that my page had fostered a collective nostalgia for specific cultural icons. These started, unsurprisingly, within the realm of science fiction and fantasy. They commonly included a pointy-eared Vulcan from a certain groundbreaking 1960s television show. Just as often, though, I found myself sharing images of a diminutive, ancient, green and disarmingly wise Jedi Master who speaks in flip-side down English. Or, if feeling more sinister, I’d post pictures of his black-cloaked, dark-sided, heavy-breathing nemesis. As an aside, I initially received from Star Trek fans considerable “push-back,” or at least many raised Spock brows, when I began sharing images of Yoda and Darth Vader. To the purists, this bordered on sacrilege.. But as I like to remind fans, I was the only actor to work within both franchises, having also voiced the part of Lok Durd from the animated show Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It was the virality of these early posts, shared by thousands of fans without any prodding from me, that got me thinking. Why do we love Spock, Yoda and Darth Vader so much? And what is it about characters like these that causes fans to click “like” and “share” so readily? One thing was clear: Cultural icons help people define who they are today because they shaped who they were as children. We all “like” Yoda because we all loved The Empire Strikes Back, probably watched it many times, and can recite our favorite lines. Indeed, we all can quote Yoda, and we all have tried out our best impression of him. When someone posts a meme of Yoda, many immediately share it, not just because they think it is funny (though it usually is — it’s hard to go wrong with the Master), but because it says something about the sharer. It’s shorthand for saying, “This little guy made a huge impact on me, not sure what it is, but for certain a huge impact. Did it make one on you, too? I’m clicking ‘share’ to affirm something you may not know about me. I ‘like’ Yoda.” And isn’t that what sharing on Facebook is all about? It’s not simply that the sharer wants you to snortle or “LOL” as it were. That’s part of it, but not the core. At its core is a statement about one’s belief system, one that includes the wisdom of Yoda. Other eminently shareable icons included beloved Tolkien characters, particularly Gandalf (as played by the inimitable Sir Ian McKellan). Gandalf, like Yoda, is somehow always above reproach and unfailingly epic. Like Yoda, Gandalf has his darker counterpart. Gollum is a fan favorite because he is a fallen figure who could reform with the right guidance. It doesn’t hurt that his every meme is invariably read in his distinctive, blood-curdling rasp. Then there’s also Batman, who seems to have survived both Adam West and Christian Bale, but whose questionable relationship to the Boy Wonder left plenty of room for hilarious homoerotic undertones. But seriously, there is something about the brooding, misunderstood and “chaotic-good” nature of this superhero that touches all of our hearts.”” [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fans gravitate toward iconic sci‑fi/fantasy characters because they serve as personal symbols linking childhood memories to adult identity, prompting social sharing as self‑expression. **In simple terms:** Iconic characters act as personal symbols that people share. Key Takeaway Recognize how nostalgia shapes your online sharing. Themes identity nostalgia media fan culture social sharing Mood reflective nostalgic playful Type observational motivational cultural commentary When to use this quote - online communities - social media memes - personal branding - fan conventions - intergenerational dialogue Key Concepts symbolic identity collective memory parasocial relationships Questions to Reflect On - What personal memory does a character evoke for you? - How does sharing a meme reflect your self‑image? A Different Perspective Not all fans connect emotionally; some may share for humor or trend following. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-system/) [Clone Wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clone-wars/) [Darth vader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darth-vader/) [Help people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help-people/) [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [Star wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/star-wars/) [Television show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television-show/) ## Related quotes > [Us Asians look like we're twenty until we're fifty. Once we're fifty, we look like Yoda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dat-phan/us-asians-look-like-we-re-twenty-until-we-re-fifty-once-we-re-fifty/) [Dat Phan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dat-phan/) > [“Yeah. I’m like Yoda except taller, younger and hotter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/yeah-i-m-like-yoda-except-taller-younger-and-hotter/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“You sound like Yoda.” I grinned. “It’s the beer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cambria-hebert/you-sound-like-yoda-i-grinned-it-s-the-beer/) [Cambria Hebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cambria-hebert/) > [“Every time I question him about the feasibility, he smiles at me like he's Yoda and I'm just a dumbass without the Force.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendare-blake/every-time-i-question-him-about-the-feasibility-he-smiles-at-me-like/) [Kendare Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendare-blake/) > [“Think of me like Yoda, but instead of being little and green I wear suits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-patrick-harris/think-of-me-like-yoda-but-instead-of-being-little-and-green-i-wear/) [Neil Patrick Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-patrick-harris/) > [He is kind of like Yoda... 'There is only do or do not. There is no try.'" That actually succeeded in making her laugh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/he-is-kind-of-like-yoda-there-is-only-do-or-do-not-there-is-no-try/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Happiness is where you start from rather than where you go. God, I sound like Yoda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/happiness-is-where-you-start-from-rather-than-where-you-go-god-i/) [Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/) > [“He didn’t lead anyone on, or make any promises. Instead he conveyed a sense of calm and equanimity, like a man who had banished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-robotham/he-didn-t-lead-anyone-on-or-make-any-promises-instead-he-conveyed-a/) [Michael Robotham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-robotham/) > [“But this hunch is all we have to go on, and every time I question him about feasibility, he smiles at me like he's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendare-blake/but-this-hunch-is-all-we-have-to-go-on-and-every-time-i-question-him/) [Kendare Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendare-blake/) > [When a man who looks like Yoda hands you a prophecy, you have to respond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/when-a-man-who-looks-like-yoda-hands-you-a-prophecy-you-have-to/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I like Yoda. I like the Ewoks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perfume-genius/i-like-yoda-i-like-the-ewoks/) [Perfume Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perfume-genius/) > [“Sorry, sometimes when I try to rhyme I end up sounding like Yoda.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-reid/sorry-sometimes-when-i-try-to-rhyme-i-end-up-sounding-like-yoda/) [Penny Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-reid/) > [I think what we find, especially with the kids that grew up with 'Clone Wars,' when they're of the age where they're like, 'I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-filoni/i-think-what-we-find-especially-with-the-kids-that-grew-up-with-clone/) [Dave Filoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-filoni/) > [I love the way the long scenes feel - one of the characteristics of '70s filmmaking is that you don't cut around a lot;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genndy-tartakovsky/i-love-the-way-the-long-scenes-feel-one-of-the-characteristics-of-70s/) [Genndy Tartakovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genndy-tartakovsky/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) ## More by George Takei > [“Sharing is an act of trust, for ridicule is an ever-present risk on the Internet today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/sharing-is-an-act-of-trust-for-ridicule-is-an-ever-present-risk-on/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [“If leadership requires a fired-up sense of purpose and imagination, it also demands a profound connection to the society to be led. Like it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/if-leadership-requires-a-fired-up-sense-of-purpose-and-imagination-it/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [“As with the douchebags of the world, calling an asshole an asshole sometimes is exactly what needs to happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/as-with-the-douchebags-of-the-world-calling-an-asshole-an-asshole/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [“But as Stephen Fry has so eloquently noted, all great atrocities and genocides first begin with marginalizing then dehumanizing a specific group of people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/but-as-stephen-fry-has-so-eloquently-noted-all-great-atrocities-and/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [A man who layeth with another man must be stoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/a-man-who-layeth-with-another-man-must-be-stoned/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [Well, the whole history of Star Trek is the market demand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/well-the-whole-history-of-star-trek-is-the-market-demand/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [Today we have the economic collapse that the whole planet is suffering, but there is hope, and that's what's going to keep us moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/today-we-have-the-economic-collapse-that-the-whole-planet-is/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [You know, I grew up in two American internment camps, and at that time I was very young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/you-know-i-grew-up-in-two-american-internment-camps-and-at-that-time/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [“I began to wonder, what accounts for our collective affinity for the apocalypse? What is it about “the end” that makes it always seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/i-began-to-wonder-what-accounts-for-our-collective-affinity-for-the/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [“If Grumpy Cat could bring herself to actually support something, it should be a no-brainer for mere humans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/if-grumpy-cat-could-bring-herself-to-actually-support-something-it/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [“And anyway, as they will say in the distant future, “Replication is the sincerest form of flattery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/and-anyway-as-they-will-say-in-the-distant-future-replication-is-the/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [“I call this phenomenon “hipsterization”—when those who fancy themselves on the cutting edge dismiss the very items they had touted as cool until they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/i-call-this-phenomenon-hipsterization-when-those-who-fancy-themselves/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [“Cultural icons help people define who they are today because they shaped who they were as children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/cultural-icons-help-people-define-who-they-are-today-because-they/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [Do your duty as an American, and as a citizen of the galaxy... Vote!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/do-your-duty-as-an-american-and-as-a-citizen-of-the-galaxy-vote/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [“I’ve recently suggested that Betty and I should do a TV series about two seniors living together in an unlikely pairing of a widow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/i-ve-recently-suggested-that-betty-and-i-should-do-a-tv-series-about/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) [Explore all 115 George Takei quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) ## More Darth vader quotes > [“But you can make you happy, my father's voice repeats over and over as I stare at my ceiling. Have I been trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-rae-miller/but-you-can-make-you-happy-my-father-s-voice-repeats-over-and-over-as/) [Leah Rae Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-rae-miller/) > [In three hundred feet, turn right," Darth Vader said. The Darth Vader. I felt like we were friends now. Like I could tell him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/in-three-hundred-feet-turn-right-darth-vader-said-the-darth-vader-i/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [Be Luke Skywalker, not Darth Vader. Ultimately love is stronger than evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-burr/be-luke-skywalker-not-darth-vader-ultimately-love-is-stronger-than/) Don Burr > [I desperately wanted to play the part of Darth Vader's mother - I think she ended up being played by a Scandinavian actress -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-duncan/i-desperately-wanted-to-play-the-part-of-darth-vader-s-mother-i-think/) [Lindsay Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-duncan/) > [We wish we were Obi-Wan Kenobi, and for the most part we are, but there's a little Darth Vader in all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-christopher-stevens/we-wish-we-were-obi-wan-kenobi-and-for-the-most-part-we-are-but-there/) J. Christopher Stevens > [Even to this day, when I think about the fact that I'm in this 'Star Wars' world, that I'm a half-brother to Darth Vader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-edgerton/even-to-this-day-when-i-think-about-the-fact-that-i-m-in-this-star/) [Joel Edgerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-edgerton/) > [“You've either bat-shit insane or you've watched too many movies. This isn't Star Wars , Mandel. I'm not Luke Skywalker. My dad's not Darth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-miller/you-ve-either-bat-shit-insane-or-you-ve-watched-too-many-movies-this/) [Kirsten Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-miller/) > [That furniture cost me a fortune! It's designer furniture." "Designed by whom ? Darth Vader ? The Hitler Youth ?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-crusie/that-furniture-cost-me-a-fortune-it-s-designer-furniture-designed-by/) [Jennifer Crusie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-crusie/) > [“He turned back to her stomach and got very close. She thought he meant to kiss her again and prepared to enjoy his lips…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caris-roane/he-turned-back-to-her-stomach-and-got-very-close-she-thought-he-meant/) [Caris Roane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caris-roane/) > [Some people may contend that there is no image more charming that a child holding a puppy or kitten. But for me that's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-allsburg/some-people-may-contend-that-there-is-no-image-more-charming-that-a/) [Chris Van Allsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-allsburg/) > [To me, Darth Vader is the epitome of evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-bennett/to-me-darth-vader-is-the-epitome-of-evil/) [Manu Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manu-bennett/) > [“One peek inside his top drawer had been enough for Sophie. Swimming goggles, nail clippers, a Ferragamo tie wound into a tight coil, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-hemphill/one-peek-inside-his-top-drawer-had-been-enough-for-sophie-swimming/) Laura Hemphill > [We all take Mother's Day seriously and then it's like a month later, a bunch of kids get together and say, "I guess we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/we-all-take-mother-s-day-seriously-and-then-it-s-like-a-month-later-a/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [“Today is a day of celebration. We have triumphed over villainy and oppression and have given our Alliance—and the galaxy beyond it—a chance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/today-is-a-day-of-celebration-we-have-triumphed-over-villainy-and/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [Science offers no brief for the telekinetic powers of Darth Vader and hardly any greater justification for the faster-than-light travel that makes his empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-di-filippo/science-offers-no-brief-for-the-telekinetic-powers-of-darth-vader-and/) [Paul Di Filippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-di-filippo/) [Browse all 89 Darth vader quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darth-vader/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“During my first few months of Facebooking, I discovered that my page had fostered a collective nostalgia for specific cultural icons. These started, unsurprisingly, within the realm of science fiction and fantasy. They commonly included a pointy-eared Vulcan from a certain groundbreaking 1960s television show. Just as often, though, I found myself sharing images of a diminutive, ancient, green and disarmingly wise Jedi Master who speaks in flip-side down English. Or, if feeling more sinister, I’d post pictures of his black-cloaked, dark-sided, heavy-breathing nemesis. As an aside, I initially received from Star Trek fans considerable “push-back,” or at least many raised Spock brows, when I began sharing images of Yoda and Darth Vader. To the purists, this bordered on sacrilege.. But as I like to remind fans, I was the only actor to work within both franchises, having also voiced the part of Lok Durd from the animated show Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It was the virality of these early posts, shared by thousands of fans without any prodding from me, that got me thinking. Why do we love Spock, Yoda and Darth Vader so much? And what is it about characters like these that causes fans to click “like” and “share” so readily? One thing was clear: Cultural icons help people define who they are today because they shaped who they were as children. We all “like” Yoda because we all loved The Empire Strikes Back, probably watched it many times, and can recite our favorite lines. Indeed, we all can quote Yoda, and we all have tried out our best impression of him. When someone posts a meme of Yoda, many immediately share it, not just because they think it is funny (though it usually is — it’s hard to go wrong with the Master), but because it says something about the sharer. It’s shorthand for saying, “This little guy made a huge impact on me, not sure what it is, but for certain a huge impact. Did it make one on you, too? I’m clicking ‘share’ to affirm something you may not know about me. I ‘like’ Yoda.” And isn’t that what sharing on Facebook is all about? It’s not simply that the sharer wants you to snortle or “LOL” as it were. That’s part of it, but not the core. At its core is a statement about one’s belief system, one that includes the wisdom of Yoda. Other eminently shareable icons included beloved Tolkien characters, particularly Gandalf (as played by the inimitable Sir Ian McKellan). Gandalf, like Yoda, is somehow always above reproach and unfailingly epic. Like Yoda, Gandalf has his darker counterpart. Gollum is a fan favorite because he is a fallen figure who could reform with the right guidance. It doesn’t hurt that his every meme is invariably read in his distinctive, blood-curdling rasp. Then there’s also Batman, who seems to have survived both Adam West and Christian Bale, but whose questionable relationship to the Boy Wonder left plenty of room for hilarious homoerotic undertones. 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