With two seasons, Sex Education has quickly garnered a following as one of Netflix's most popular shows. On the surface, it might give you the vibe of a mushy rom-com but if you start watching it, you'll find out that it's much more than that. Filled with drama, emotion, and comedy, Sex Education handles many issues regarding love and sexuality without being preachy.

The show is marked with various talented actors like Asa Butterfield and Ncuti Gatwa and dialogues that are funny yet heartwarming. In reference to this, here are some of the best quotes from Netflix's Sex Education so far.

Updated April 1st, 2020 by Mariana Fernandes: We're still having a hard time believing that the third season of Sex Education won't arrive on Netflix until 2021. The show did such a great job of crafting complex, relatable, and hilarious characters that it's impossible not to feel like something is missing in our weekly binge. But if there's one thing the show gave us was a goldmine of incredible quotes. So, to mitigate the pain you're certainly feeling wait now, take some time to read the revamped version of Sex Educations's best quotes!

15 It's Not In Your Power

"Sometimes the people we like don't like us back, and there's nothing you can do about it."

- Otis

Speaking words of wisdom as per usual is none other than Otis. And in this particular instance, he is putting the finger right where it hurts. We've all been there. Thousands of songs, poems, and plays were written dealing with the tremendous ordeal that is unrequited love. And it hurts like few other things in this life.

But it's going to happen. Someday, somehow, you'll fall in love with someone who won't love you back. And there is absolutely nothing we can do aside from dealing with it and moving on to someone who will appreciate us and take our love with open arms and a huge smile on their face.

14 Listening Is Hard

"It's a fine balance, listening to people without inserting yourself into their reality."

-Jean

Dr. Jean also had her moments throughout the course of the show. But perhaps the quote that stuck with us the most was this one, about finding the sweet spot when listening to someone. And as a therapist, this rings even truer for her than for everyone else who's just listening to their friends and family.

But it's true that we tend to insert ourselves into situations and problems as a form to offer advice. And once we do it, the moment and the focus cease to be on the other person - the one who came to you in the first place. Humans tend to be selfish, and its up to us to try and make it better.

13 Celebrate Your Body!

"Everyone has bodies, right? It's nothing to be ashamed of."

-Otis

Point us towards a single person who's never had any issues with their body image and we'll raise a statue in your honor. Because let's be honest, much like unrequited love, we've all been there. And especially when the teenage years hit, everything just seems to be amplified - included body issues.

Loving yourself is the first step to take to live a happy, wholesome life. And the best way to go about it is exactly how Otis puts it. Everybody has bodies. Every body is beautiful, and there's nothing to hide or be ashamed of. Don't let it set you back from doing the things you love and have fulfilling relationships!

12 Who Cares?

"It shouldn't matter what anyone in the school thinks. You are who you are. Don't let anyone take that away from you."

-Otis

On a similar note as the quote above, Otis once again lays down some hard facts. We spend so many precious years of our lives trying to fit in. Trying and failing at loving what everybody else says we should love. And in the midst of it all, we completely lose our sense of individuality, the things that make us different and lovable.

And in a high school environment, it gets even harder. Teenagehood brings along a completely new set of problems, and the need for inclusion and validation are all we care about. But at the end of the day, what will matter most is that you stay true to who you are. Otherwise, you will cease to be yourself - and what a loss that would be!

11 To The Moon For You!

"One day, you're gonna meet someone who appreciates you for who you are. I mean, there are seven billion people on the planet. I know one of them is gonna climb up on a moon for you."

-Otis

We are so scared of being alone. We spend so much time and effort trying to find the one, and more often than not, we end up settling for people who aren't right for us. Who don't want the same things as us. And who try to change the fundamental basics of who we are to fit what they want.

This isn't right. Life is to short to stay with someone who simply isn't the right person and who doesn't appreciate our uniqueness. Don't rush into anything. There are so many incredible people out there...and one of them is going to do anything for you, because they think you deserve the world!

10 Engineering A Relationship

'You can't choose who you're attracted to. You can't engineer a relationship.'

-Otis

Otis, the series's protagonist, sums up the crux behind the situations of most of the people around him. Often in Sex Education (especially in Season 2), we find characters dating other characters, appearing happy in face value. But deep inside, they have their insecurities dragging them away from a 'happily-ever-after' narrative.

Otis is somehow stuck on Maeve. Ola starts having feelings for Tanya while dating Otis. Eric is happy dating Rahim but also can't get his mind off Adam. The list goes on. To put it in a nutshell, hardly any teenage relationship is planned or engineered. Liking or love just happens. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it just doesn't.

9 The 'Good' Father

'Maybe...I am learning from my brave son.'

-Mr. Effiong

All through the first season, Eric Effiong's father is concerned about his son's gay identity. He's not an authoritarian homophobic father, but an overprotective one. When he sees his son adorn himself in flashy makeup and proclaiming his identity, Mr. Effiong tries to persuade Eric to tone it down.

Finally, Eric gathers the courage to tell his old man that he'll be hurt, either way, asking him 'Isn't it better to be who I am?'. In an emotion-filled scene, Mr. Effiong finally understands his son's perspective and appreciates his bravery.

8 Adam's Family

'I wish I could be a normal kid with a normal dad and a normal d*ck.'

-Adam

Adam seems like your conventional high-school bully at the start of the show. But then as his character is explored further, one understands how some of his aggression is also a result of his father Headmaster Groff's strict parenthood. Otherwise too, he's not a very bright kid often failing at most of the tasks he sets out too.

Further, his excessive smoking of marijuana affects his intimate life too. And then to top it all, Adam's 'straight, masculine tough guy' also fades away as he questions his sexuality. Adam is surely one of the most multi-layered characters of the show.

7 You've Got A Friend In Me

'You're my friend. I love you like a friend.'

-Ola

As discussed before, Adam has a never-ending list of problems in his life. Because of his record of being a stoner and a bully, he hardly has anyone who can empathize with him. Then comes Ola who works along with him at a general store.

When Ola offers him warmth and support, Adam just can't understand it as he's not used to it. He thinks this is more of a romantic gesture till Ola says she loves him as a friend. Adam is overwhelmed as he never knew anyone who could say that to him. 'Noone's ever said I was their friend before.', he mutters and hugs Ola.

6 Love-sick

'You know in rom-coms, when the guy finally realizes he's in love with the girl, and he turns up with a boom box outside her house, blasting her favorite song, and everyone in the audience swoons? Yeah, that makes me sick.'

-Maeve

Maeve is shown as one of the edgiest characters in the series, shunning all the traditional stereotypes of female characters in high-school comedy shows as this quote shows.

At the same time, she doesn't subscribe to the 'edgy goth girl' stereotype who just wears eyeshadow and reads feminist scholars. She's much more than an unconventional girl as we see in Season 2. She shows her mushy feelings towards Otis and even joins the nerdy school quiz team.

5 Cheesy

'Last night I looked at some cheese and got an erection.'

-Otis

Otis is a shy non-sexual teenager in the first season. However, in Sex Education's sophomore outing, Otis's hormones start acting up. He feels the urgent need to please himself almost all the time.

Shown in a hilarious montage, it's only ironic to note how the "Sex Kid" who solves everyone's issues with sex, faces his own sex issues. Ordinarily, this quote and montage could have easily given off a creepy vibe but the show and Otis's character thankfully handle masturbation in a normalized manner.

4 Chlamydia Education

'You can't catch chlamydia from the air.'

-Otis

True to the title of the show, Otis does try to give sex education tips to the kids of his school. He gives his piece of mind when his dumb peers start panicking in the school thinking that there's a chlamydia outbreak and that it can spread through any medium.

They think the sexual disease (which requires sexual contact) can spread through the air, eye infection, touch, food, anything possible. It's like the Middle Ages all over again.

3 What Is Prom?

'Prom is an appropriated American tradition that celebrates sexism and peddles an unrealistic portrayal of romantic love.'

-Maeve

On the verge of being edgy, Maeve Wiley can also be very realistic at times. At first, you might think that Maeve should catch a breath and learn to accept things simply.

But then on second thought, she does make sense. Her quote raises certain questions on the monotonous, one-dimensional teenage love story elements which found the basis of a typical American prom.

2 Good Guy

'I think you're always trying so hard to be a good guy that you end up not being a good guy.'

-Ola

By the end of season 2, Otis is mired in guilt as he seems to be pissing off almost everyone around him. He mocks his ex-girlfriend Ola and Maeve (who he had a crush on earlier) in a drunk monologue at a party. He disappoints his mother when he hides the fact that he had been the school's "Sex Kid" all along.

He talks to Ola at school later expecting some empathy, but his ex gives him a reality check instead. She tells Otis to not stress out much about his character but still be slightly more cautious in maintaining human relationships. And yes, she also feels that he shouldn't be drinking for a long time!

1 Holding Hands

'I want to hold your hand.'

-Adam

As mentioned before, Adam's character has seen several transitions in the two seasons. After discovering his bisexuality, Adam is still uptight to come to terms with it. Further, he's in love with Eric, the same boy he used to bully for years. Eric is also romantically linked with a new French student called Rahim complicating the situation.

All of this makes Adam shy to come to terms with his romantic and sexual preferences. But finally, in the Season 2 finale, he makes his declaration of love as public as possible. He breaks in the school's play and goes on stage to just tell Eric that he wants to hold his hand. In one of the show's cutest moments, Eric smiles and does hold Adam's hand. One can't stop going 'aww' over this scene.

NEXT: Netflix's Sex Education: The 10 Most Emotional Season Two Scenes

Next 10 Reality TV Cliches And Tropes That Need To End, According To Reddit

About The Author

Shaurya Thapa (762 Articles Published)

Shaurya Thapa is an Indian freelance journalist who mostly dabbles in writings on cinema, music, and human interest features. When it comes to Screen Rant, he writes lists on a wide array of subjects ranging from international films to mainstream Netflix series and comic book trivia. He also hosts a podcast called 'BhindiWire', an Indian parody of IndieWire.

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