15 best Stranger Things quotes to live by

“Sometimes people don’t really say what they’re really thinking. But when you capture the right moment, it says more.” – Jonathan

Episode: “Chapter Four: The Body” 

Another pearl of wisdom from the wise-beyond-his-years older brother Jonathan. This comes in a conversation Jonathan is having with Nancy as he explains his love for photography in the first season of the show. Obviously Jonathan’s photography gets him into quite some trouble in the first season and raises the ire of Steve. It is an important plot point in helping Nancy to figure out what happened to Barb.

Outside of all that, this quote also gives us some insight into how Jonathan thinks and feels about other people. While Jonathan might seem distrustful of others, it is really that he is simply aware of the fact that many of us put on a certain face when talking with others. We don’t always show all our inner thoughts and emotions, and Jonathan gets closer to our real selves in his photography than many of us do in our everyday lives.

Clearly, Jonathan’s photography is important to him and in this one line we realize that his actions in earlier episodes, taking pictures of Nancy and Steve while they are partying, was simply a way to try to understand them better, particularly Nancy.

The line is also a reminder for all of us to remember that people are often more complex and interesting than they might seem at first glance. Everyone has their own story, and they simply might not always share that and this line is a reminder of that fact.