Original artwork, not a still
Our powers made us special. / Everyone's special, Dash. Which is another way of saying no one is.
— The Incredibles ‧ 2004
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is a child's sharpest argument against a world that praises everyone the same: praise handed to everybody stops meaning anything. Dash is a kid who can run faster than anyone and has been told to hide it, and the line lands as both a complaint and a prophecy, because the film's villain later turns the same idea into a plan. Fans still use it as the caption for any compliment that costs nothing.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The IncrediblesShow the scene
Dash Parr has just been dragged to the school office again: his teacher Bernie is certain Dash puts thumbtacks on his stool, though a hidden camera proves nothing. As mother and son leave, Helen tells him that the world just wants the family to fit in and be like everybody else. Dash protests that their father always said their powers were nothing to be ashamed of, and that those powers made them special. Helen answers that everyone's special, and Dash finishes the thought: that is another way of saying no one is. A pair of schoolmates cuts the talk short.
Sources (1)
- The Incredibles screenplay transcript (IMSDb)Scene 7 to Scene 8 (principal's office, then Dash and Helen leaving school)Reference checked
Context reviewed
