Context

This line is spoken by Tyrion Lannister (played by Peter Dinklage), in the episode "Winter is Coming," in Game of Thrones, written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (2011- ).

Tyrion seems to be everyone's favorite character in Game of Thrones, and for good reason. He is a huge underdog in the series because he is despised by his family for being a dwarf, but even so, he gets some of the best lines and is chock full of wisdom and wit.

Tyrion shows us a bit of this wisdom early on in the series when the Lannisters, along with King Robert Baratheon, come to visit Ned Stark and to make him Hand of the King. Tyrion runs into Jon Snow, the illegitimate son of Ned Stark, who is doing his best wallflower imitation while everyone else is feasting. They get off on the wrong foot when Tyrion calls him "bastard" a few times, but Tyrion ends up giving Mr. Broody a great piece of advice.

Basically, Tyrion tells Jon that his status as being illegitimate in a society obsessed with birth and bloodlines can be his greatest asset. He can own the insult of "bastard" and be great in spite of it, just like Tyrion ends up rising pretty high in the service of two different rulers, despite being a dwarf.

And Jon, luckily, took that advice to heart.

Where you've heard it

You heard this line when you first started watching Game of Thrones, and considered making it your senior yearbook quote.

There's actually a whole book you can buy with Tyrion's great quotes. It's a perfect birthday or graduation gift.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

This is an excellent advice for anyone who has felt marginalized by other people, so feel free to quote it as often as Tyrion drinks a cup of wine.