NBC’s Parks and Recreation may have ended in 2015 but it’s still being talked about seven years later for all the good that it brought to the world of sitcoms. In a Reddit AMA earlier this year, the show’s creator, Mike Schur, noted that an improvised line from Amy Poehler changed the way the writers viewed Leslie Knope’s character, thus changing the future of the series for the better.
In the episode ‘Boys Club,’ Schur said, “[Leslie] got super cocky and looked back at the men sweeping up and improvised something like, ‘Am I breaking into the boys’ club? I dunno. I mean, just look at all those b*****s cleaning up after me.'” The show’s direction became lighter and looser after that — including its character Chris Traeger. Taeger was one of the most positive aspects of the show and lived his life to the fullest. His optimism inspired millions of its viewers and Reddit shared the quotes that helped them the most.
“Last One To Pick Up 100 Rusty Cans Has Still Accomplished A Great Deal!”
In ‘Are You Better Off?’ it’s Founders Week in Pawnee and Leslie Knope had the entire parks and rec. crew cleaning up Pawnee, making sure the town looked its best. Chris Traeger was happy to help and encouraged his colleagues to pick up 100 cans, but even if they didn’t, they still “accomplished a great deal.”
Redditor MyNameIsMikeTV shared a clip from this scene and wrote “Motivation from Chris Traeger.” It’s one of Chris Traeger’s best quotes. In regards to this quote, one fan wrote, “He is literally the only reason I watched that show. Everything else wasn’t for me, but he made me happy.”
“If I Can Keep My Mind Occupied And Body Moving, I Will Avoid Falling Into A Bottomless Pit Of Despair.”
Redditor Flying_Doge wrote, “Chris is the reason why I started to watch P&R again this year” before adding the quote that motivated them the most: “If I can keep my mind occupied and body moving, I will avoid falling into a bottomless pit of despair.”
While on a bike, Chris told the cameraman why he enjoyed staying busy, and it was because if he didn’t he’d fall into a “bottomless pit of despair.” Fans related to Chris Taeger with this quote because keeping busy mentally and physically is make it easier to ignore the harder things in life.
“I Love Being A Caddy. It’s So Much More Than Just Carrying Clubs.”
One of the best things about Chris Traeger is that he praises the mundane things other people complain about. Things like picking up litter or caddying for golfers aren’t much fun, but Chris turns every decision into a positive one.
Horatio-Hufnagel told Reddit, “Chris Traeger is an inspiration to us all” and shared clips from this scene. Even though Chris Traeger was seemingly perfect, he did make mistakes that could have gotten him fired. But through those dark times, he looked at the positive.
“I Believe You Are Capable Of Much More.”
In ‘The Bubble,’ Chris made some changes around the office. While Jerry was happy in his position, Chris thought he was “capable of much more” and made him head of public relations. Jerry wasn’t sure about the title change but Chris inspired him to do and be better.
Redditor SBRoll shared a clip of this scene and wrote, “I’ve been taking a new approach on life. This guy, is LITERALLY, my hero.” Regardless of how mediocre a person thought they were, Chris helped them see themselves in a new light. This was one of the few moments people were nice to Jerry!
“There Is Literally Nothing You Can’t Do.”
In ‘Road Trip,’ Leslie and Ben take a road trip to win a vote for Pawnee being selected to host the Indiana Little League Baseball tournament. The two had romantic feelings for each other but couldn’t act on it because of Traeger’s strict no-dating policy. However, when Ben brought up their obvious feelings for each other at dinner, their moment was squandered when Chris showed up to congratulate them on winning the bid to host the tournament.
He reminded them there was nothing they couldn’t do, which is what inspired Redditor Brittnierheayn to cross-stitch this quote for inspiration. If there was one thing Reddit fans learned from Parks and Recreation it was how to remain positive in tough situations — all thanks to Chris Traeger.
“How We Deal With Tragedy Defines Who We Are. I Used To Be Terrible At It. Beyond Terrible. You Are Not Going To Let This Deflate You. You Are Going To Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off, And We Will Figure Out What The Next Step Is.”
A Parks and Rec. fan shared this quote on Reddit and wrote, “From Parks and Recreation, one of the most inspiring and real things ever said in TV.”
As inspiring as this quote is, it came at a hard time. One of the saddest things about Andy was that he didn’t know what to do with his life if it wasn’t playing music. When he finally realized working in law enforcement was his goal, he failed the testing requirements and realized his goal wasn’t as attainable as he thought. Chris gave him this pep talk and turned things around for Andy. Without Chris, the office would have been a darker place.
“He’s A Mutt. Half Amazing, Half Terrific.”
What made Chris one of the best Parks and Recreation characters was his optimism. It didn’t matter how bad the situation was, Chris handled it with grace and positivity. This was especially true when Leslie and Ben admitted to being in a secret relationship, which was against company policy.
Another excellent example of his confidence was when he dog-sat for April and Andy. The couple rescued a three-legged dog named Champion and asked Chris to take care of him for a little while, thinking it would lift his spirits during a hard period in his life. While some people look down on mutts, SavannahHouston praised Chris for being “wholesome.” They shared, “Chris Traeger, literally, embodies wholesome memes.” No other meme on the Internet motivates as Chris does.
“I Was Born With A Blood Disorder. And My Parents Were Told That I Had Three Weeks To Live… And Here I Still Am, Some 2,000-Odd Weeks Later. And I Have Enjoyed Every One Of Them.”
HalStrop shared an endearing quote from Chris Traeger’s upbringing and wrote, “One of the most inspirational quotes ever. I’m going to carry this around with me wherever I go.”
In the scene, Ann asked Chris why he was so positive all the time. And in a rare, serious moment, Chris said, “I was born with a blood disorder. And my parents were told that I had three weeks to live… And here I still am, some 2,000-odd weeks later. And I have enjoyed every one of them.” While Ann could have ended up with anyone other than Chris, his hopefulness set him apart from others.
“In The Grand Scheme Of Things, Who Cares? We’re All Just Molecules, Floating Around In Random Patterns.”
While some poke fun at this quote for being one of Chris Traeger’s darker ones, it helped quite a few Redditors grasp heavy situations. DBShaw92 wrote how much this quote helped them. “This is how I feel but not in a negative way. If there is no meaning, all the pressure is gone. Your accomplishments and downfalls are not the end of the world. The pressure to be perfect or to be great are lifted once you realize there is no meaning behind any of this.”
Other Parks and Rec. fans chimed in that this quote reminded them to focus on the small victories and the little things in life instead of how scary the bigger picture can be.
“Life Is Precious, And Every Day Is A Miracle.”
When Pawnee had a sug infestation, Chris laughed it off and noted how different people’s lives could be. SnakeRuler shared a few clips from this scene and noted how “wholesome” Traeger was while another user noted how much they appreciated his positive character. “I love how he’s such a positive character, but was really depressed. Then he got help and found a real reason to be positive again!”
With the help of his friend and colleague Ben, the two became one of the best platonic TV duos because of their balance of lifestyles. Whenever Ben or a coworker was down on their luck, Chris would sweep in and cast a gentle reminder like the one above.
