25 Sense8 quotes that die-hard fans should know by heart

11. “The real violence, the violence I realized was unforgivable, is the violence that we do to ourselves when we’re too afraid to be who we really are.”

Lito turns to Nomi for help and guidance when he feels he’s in turmoil. When Nomi sits down with Lito and recounts a painful childhood memory, we see the obstacles Nomi faced even before she transitioned. As painful as the memory is to watch, Nomi reassures Lito that what’s worse is living a lie and not accepting who you really are.

Nomi’s wisdom reinforces how necessary it is for Lito, and anyone living a lie, to be honest with themselves. The joy of seeing Nomi live her life isn’t based on her looks. The joy of seeing Nomi live her life is recognizing she is exactly who she wants to be. When Nomi’s mother continually refers to her as “Michael,” we feel angry because it hurts Nomi.

Lito’s career as an actor is secondary to his personal life. What is the point of playing pretend for a living if you can’t even be honest in your real life? Nomi’s reassurances reinforce Lito and Hernando’s decision to face whatever comes together, and besides proving dramatically effective, Nomi’s quote is also for any viewer who needs a little nudge in the right decision.

No matter the obstacles in our life, we should all aspire to live authentically. Because the violence we commit to ourselves is a waste of energy. Sense8 practices what it preaches, which pays off with interesting character development. The show also uses its characters to preach to its viewers. What better message to glean from a show but be true to yourself?