Leon's Advice
a conversation from Mr. Robot: Season 2, Episode 4 that really stuck with me
Mr. Robot is a television series created by Sam Esmail. It stars Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer and hacker with social anxiety disorder, clinical depression, and dissociative identity disorder. He is recruited by the mysterious leader of an underground group of hackers to join their organization to help bring down corporate America.
If you’ve never seen it, it’s an incredible "what if" story that exposes the cracks in our modern world. I dont want to put an spoilers in here because even if you arent into hacking I think the plot is thrilling nonetheless. Recently when rewatching the show, one conversation stuck out to me though. Its a scene featuring Joey Badass playing Leon and Malek as Elliot during a chess match:
The Scene
Leon: You know, back in the Age of Enlightenment, motherf---ers used chess as a means of self-improvement, ‘cause there wasn’t no Tony Robbins DVDs back then. This was it. So what you playing for then? If there’s no who, then what’s the what? What’s it for?
Elliot: Existence.
Leon: Dope. Some high stakes right there. So what you waiting on?
Elliot: What?
Leon: Do you dream, Elliot? You scraping so hard like you ain’t ever asked yourself this before. I said, do you want to be here right now? And I don’t mean, like, here-here, but I mean here in a cosmic sense, bro. Like, existence could be beautiful, or it could be ugly, but that’s on you.
Elliot: How do I know which one’s for me?
Leon: Dream. You got to find out the future you’re fighting for. Sometimes you got to close your eyes and really envision that shit, bro. If you like it, then it’s beautiful. If you don’t? Then you might as well fade the f--- out right now.
The part that hits me hardest is when Leon asks, “Do you dream?” From that moment on, it feels like Joey Badass is speaking directly to me, not just to Elliot.
I’m no hacker—at least not Elliot’s kind—and I’m not trying to take down corporate overlords. But I understand what Elliot means when he says he’s playing for existence. As an artist working in very niche genres and as someone who identifies as BIPOC, I’m in a similar struggle. Whether it’s trying to exist in a world that doesn’t acknowledge your presence, getting your music heard, or putting your art into people’s hands—dreaming and envisioning what you want is essential.
“I mean here in a cosmic sense, bro”
Leon's idea that existence being beautiful or ugly is on you really resonates with me. It's a reminder that I can find beauty in a world that doesn't know I exist. It's similar to the concept of manifesting your dreams into reality through intention and effort.
I’m not saying you can just close your eyes, think really hard, and watch things materialize. It absolutely takes work and effort. But I think the crucial element is wanting it. You have to think about it constantly and go for it. Set goals, seek inspiration, take concrete actions toward what you want to achieve. Nothing comes for free—it takes work.
I wonder if Leon’s words resonate with anyone else. I’d love to hear how his message affected you!.
I think that’s all I got for this snowny Sunday evening. Hace a good week!