10 Best Sheldon Cooper Quotes in ‘Young Sheldon,” Ranked

Sheldon Cooper is a riot as a grown man in The Big Bang Theory, but seeing his life shape up as a young child on Young Sheldon has been fascinating for fans, too. At the age of 9, Sheldon was sent to high school, far too intelligent and unchallenged in elementary school. Even from that young age, he was a precocious, opinionated young boy who was wise beyond his years.

The character’s best quotes are often biting, egotistical and demonstrate his inflated sense of self-importance. But they also show his unwavering confidence and his constant irritation with the less intelligent people he communicated with on a daily basis. His best one-liners are one’s fans love to repeat again and again.

10 “I should let you know, I read a book on Jiu-Jitsu and I am prepared to throw it at you.”

S.1 Ep.17 “Jiu-Jitsu, Bubble Wrap, and Yoo-Hoo”

One thing Sheldon always makes very clear is that he has no interest in sports or physical activities of any kind. He is only interested in intellectual hobbies like reading and conducting scientific experiments. He is willing to read and learn about sports, even once impressing his high school football coach father with his ability to come up with winning plays. But he has no interest in playing them.

In this quote, Sheldon at first makes it sound like he might be ready to demonstrate a killer martial arts move on his sister Missy. But his ending solidifies his position as a non-athlete. He would simply throw the book at her, not actually try to replicate anything he learned from it.

9 “What I find interesting is how many super villains are scientists. If the world doesn’t respect me, I might change sides.”

S.1 Ep.4 “A Therapist, a Comic Book, and a Breakfast Sausage”

Sheldon makes a good point in that many supervillains in comic books, TV shows, and movies are scientists. It means they have incredible minds and are highly intelligent. He begins to wonder if perhaps it’s the annoyance with daily society that has caused them to jump to the dark side, suggesting that if he can’t find respect in the world, he might be tempted to do the same.

Of course, in most cases, these supervillains became obsessed with the power their intellect could provide, fueled often by greed and vengeance. Sheldon doesn’t pay attention to this part, however. His clever observation is a fun one, nonetheless.

8 “I’m having a hard time adjusting to Earth.”

S.1 Ep.2 “Rockets, Communists, and the Dewey Decimal System”

After Sheldon starts high school, he realizes that he can’t find anyone to which he can relate. Not only is he smarter than most, if not all, of the kids there, but he’s also much younger. He visits the school library and asks the librarian for help finding a book on learning how to make friends. She asks him sympathetically if he is having a hard time adjusting to high school and this is his response.

Sheldon does often feel like an outcast. He finally found a friend in Tam and was overjoyed when Dr. Sturgis, one of the show’s best side characters, came into his life, despite the fact that he was decades older than him. But up until then, Sheldon sometimes did indeed feel like he belonged on another planet. It’s partly for this reason that he reveled in shows like Star Trek that showcased where other intelligent lifeforms might exist.

7 “I don’t need a calculator, dad. I am one.”

S.1 Ep.5 “A Solar Calculator, a Game Ball, and a Cheerleader’s Bosom”

Sheldon is such a math whiz, he doesn’t need a calculator to figure out a problem. He could often do it all in his head or preferred to work the complex calculations out with pencil and paper. When his father George Sr. suggested one time that he grab one for assistance, Sheldon laughed off the ridiculous suggestion.

This is yet another comment that proves not only how smart Sheldon is but also how egotistical. This was also a passive aggressive insult towards his father who Sheldon knew very well was the type of person who would, in fact, need a calculator for even the simplest calculation.

6 “Most evil doesn’t start ‘til puberty.”

S.1 Ep.1 “Pilot”

This line is said in the pilot episode in the first and one of the best seasons of Young Sheldon. When his mom Mary is dropping him off to school for his first day, she tells her son to be good. This is his response at the tender age of 9 years old. He’s not entirely wrong, but as is typical with Sheldon, he’s speaking based on his readings about things like puberty. He knows that biologically, when kids go through puberty, the changes in their bodies can wreak havoc on their mentality and how they act and respond to things.

The comment resulted in a knowing smirk from Mary, who was well aware of her son’s cleverness. But it’s a funny quote that shows Sheldon’s self-awareness, and awareness about people around him. Even if he can never relate to others on an emotional and social level, he understands the specific nuances of human behavior as they relate to biology and genetics.

5 “So, I’m ahead of my time? All right, call me when you catch up.”

S.1 Ep.6 “A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac”

Teachers often had a tough time with Sheldon. He would question their teaching styles, ask for extra work, and keep students in class later than they needed to be so he could ask questions. He would sometimes even question the curriculum or a teacher’s answers to question. When one teacher told Sheldon that he was ahead of his time, he took this as a compliment, but also made sure to use it as an insult towards the teacher who said it. He turned the statement around on them and suggested they should contact him when they reach his level.

The teacher, of course, merely meant that Sheldon was too smart for his own good, not that they were not smart enough to match him. But leave it to Sheldon to turn any comment against the person who spoke it, further solidifying his position as a superior human to them.

4 “I’m not crazy, My mother had me tested.”

S.2 Ep.14 “David, Goliath, and a Yoo-Hoo from the Back”

Fans of The Big Bang Theory know that Sheldon would often tell people his mother “had him tested” when they suggested he was mentally unstable in some way. In Young Sheldon, fans see this testing really happen when she takes he and Missy for tests with a psychologist conducting a twins study. This is one time when Sheldon didn’t embellish the truth as he often did on The Big Bang Theory, and actually remembered what happened accurately.

Though his mother technically didn’t have him specifically tested for mental stability, he was indeed seen by a psychologist who analyzed things about Sheldon. Based on him speaking this line in the show, Sheldon had been saying this for decades and could back up his insistence with factual evidence.

3 “I’m not good at keeping secrets. That’s why I don’t have any.”

S.2 Ep.4 “A Financial Secret and Fish Sauce”

It’s no surprise that even at a young age, Sheldon has no filter. He is also not good at keeping secrets. He feels that keeping secrets is just as bad as lying, and an act of defiance. Sheldon didn’t like shifting the normal balance of the world by doing the wrong thing or not telling someone the truth.

He makes that clear in this statement, also confirming that he doesn’t have any secrets of his own because he simply wouldn’t be able to keep them to himself. This is evidenced by the fact that, in most cases, whatever Sheldon is thinking or feeling, he expresses it. He isn’t afraid to question everything and speak his mind, even if it means hurting or insulting people.

2 “I’m not boastful. It’s just that I’m genuinely superior to everyone around me.”

S.6 Ep.2 “Future Worf and the Margarita of the South Pacific”

Sheldon is confident in himself and his abilities and strengths, which he feels run the gamut and include just about everything. He is not afraid to let anyone who he comes across know not only that he is very smart but that he is very likely smarter than them, which is why he isn’t exactly the most likable character.

But the way he sees it, Sheldon is just speaking facts, not boasting. He truly feels he is superior to everyone around him because of his tremendous intellect. What Sheldon fails to recognize is the importance of emotional intelligence as well, and other aspects of being human beyond intelligence.

1 “I’m not a nerd. I’m a highly intelligent, socially challenged, egomaniacal misanthrope.”

Multiple Episodes

While some might believe that Sheldon doesn’t realize that he is not always the nicest person to hang around with, it seems he is fully aware of this, based on this quote. He knows he has trouble making friends, even going so far as, in the aforementioned quote, seeking out books to help him. When he meets someone who is at his same level, like Paige or the students in Germany in the show’s final season, he feels the need to compete to prove that he is smarter.

As a self-proclaimed misanthrope as well, Sheldon knows that he can be mean and he doesn’t hide his dislike for humans and general societal conventions like dating and fashion. But he also doesn’t consider himself a classic nerd: he just believes that he is his own type of person.

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Every Season of ‘Young Sheldon,’ Ranked