[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2025\/03\/24\/severance-quotes-for-work\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2025\/03\/24\/severance-quotes-for-work\/","headline":"The grim barbarity of optics and design: Severance quotes for work","name":"The grim barbarity of optics and design: Severance quotes for work","description":"\"The surest way to tame a prisoner is to let him believe he's free.\" Severance quotes for work explore the woe, frolic, dread, and malice of corporate life.","datePublished":"2025-03-24","dateModified":"2025-10-16","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jenn-vande-zande\/#Person","name":"Jenn Vande 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from Severance season 1 episode 7 \n\u2022 I noticed a mistake so I fixed it: https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1JLeVRJt7vmtM_suGUgU8R8up7D7j1PU4\/view?usp=drive_link\n\u2022 Severance playlist https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL06RcbN2jP9bGkE-FO6lwhBuUNXhtr6ft\n \nsubscribe for more! \n \nI'm open to commissions and ideas, super thanks get top priority\n\nif you want to support the channel: \n\u2022 like and\/or comment on the video \n\u2022 use Epic Creator Code: Murdoink \n\u2022 donate: https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/murdoink or https:\/\/paypal.me\/Murdoink \n\u2022 follow on Twitter: https:\/\/www.twitter.com\/murdoink \n\u2022 follow on Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/murdoinkgreenscreens\/\n\u2022 follow on Tiktok https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@murdoinkgreenscreens\n\n\u2022 software I use to make these: Davinci Resolve Studio \n\u2022 to use and edit this video I recommend using Davinci Resolve or CapCut, both are free! \n\u2022 you don't need my permission to use this 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\n\nPlaylists:\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL06RcbN2jP9b3YWiFoAINU4tuDZjKl9BM\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL06RcbN2jP9ZhGG-HIA7EVCvPwIoHAQGd\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL06RcbN2jP9YNQphUPSlOMLun-lyzgR-M\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL06RcbN2jP9YZ24Xl3fZMHKxmTXZDPNRK\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL06RcbN2jP9YoFJU0JvyKPI1D7oBDiDUt\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL06RcbN2jP9ZsGyuRSutDLgfjyr2Du6b8\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL06RcbN2jP9ZfhnDAprWnMD1DiOlXhaYQ\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL06RcbN2jP9YMGePSwXymdGdlp44CS0GZ\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL06RcbN2jP9Y46Zxc-T3daehtNYCrejmW\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL06RcbN2jP9bE-FkNMYKc95ybXQHPZ3Bl\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL06RcbN2jP9b3xB5rRR5oWzs77_0WdkVS\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL06RcbN2jP9aVeSrQ2eD34OLyOlKbeTif\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL06RcbN2jP9bGkE-FO6lwhBuUNXhtr6ft\n\n#Severance 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Each of the protagonists \u2013Mark, Irving, Dylan, and Helly \u2013 has undergone a procedure to split their consciousness into two separate states, thereby severing their memories. Their “outie” version steps into the elevator, descends, and when the elevator doors open, has transformed into their “innie” \u2013 the part of their being that only knows about what happens at work, and has no recollection or knowledge of their lives outside of the office. In 2025, the show has developed a cult-like following, with the second season reaching over three billion streaming minutes, making Severance quotes for work required corporate reading.SPOILERS AHEAD: PROCEED CAREFULLY SO AS NOT TO RISK YOUR SPOT IN THE OUTDOOR RETREAT and TEAM BUILDING OCCURRENCE (ORTBO).Praise Keir: The good news about HellThroughout Severance, any mention of Kier Eagan, the founder of Lumon, is met with nearly god-like reverence by employees… until it’s not. The center of his kingdom is the corporate headquarters where white, pristine, labyrinth-like hallways work overtime in an apparent effort to conceal the dark truths lurking beneath the surface.Like all gods, Eagan has a plethora of oil paintings and art dedicated to memorializing him and the story of Lumon, although many of those pieces have alternate versions \u2013 an agile way to seamlessly pivot from one platform of truth to another, if you will.(Out here in the real world, corporate employees may struggle to recognize the parallels between religion and corporate culture that’s so prominently woven throughout Severance, as certainly they’ve rarely encountered such a thing).“The good news is hell is just the product of a morbid human imagination. The bad news is whatever humans can imagine, they can usually create.” (S1.E1) \u2013 Harmony Cobel: Nothing like an inspirational pep talk on your first day at work.“Hey, I know this has been a tough quarter. I\u2019m gonna see about rustling you up some special perks. That sound good?” (S1.E7) \u2013 Seth Milchick: Definitely, definitely with no resemblance to employees in corporate America, the employees in Severance are in a continual state of … amazement when it comes to the perks and rewards offered by Lumon management. Examples of said benefits: A Music Dance Experience (MDE), Egg Social Bar, finger trap toys, Melon Bar, and the ultimate reward: the Waffle Party.“We have never owned an electric grouter and we look forward to the many happy memories it will provide.” “Nothing says ‘Christmas’ like grouting.” (S2.E7) \u2013 Gemma: Better than a subscription to the Jelly of The Month Club, perhaps?“How many more must I give?“(S2.E10) \u2013 Lorne: Managers to executives as they’re forced to reduce staff \u2013 again.“My job is to scroll through this spreadsheet and look for numbers that are scary?” (S1.E2) \u2013 Helly R: In juxtaposition to the real corporate world, the characters in Severance don’t find fulfillment in spreadsheet work.“I will be conducting your monthly performance review. This review can take anywhere from two to six hours, depending on the number of atonements and approbations required.” (S2.E5) \u2013 Mr. Drummond: … and reviews will continue until morale improves.“The work is mysterious and important.”(s1.E4) \u2013 Mark: Corporate employees may want to take note of this line and use it when asked what you actually do at your job.“I’m here tonight to tell you that we are on the verge of a revolution. A kind and empathetic revolution that puts the human being at the center of industry.” (S1.E9) \u2013 Natalie Kalen, PR rep: And the crowd goes mild.“You are sparing with the facial encouragements.” (S1.E6) \u2013 Irving: Constructive feedback for the win.“I’ll ready the refreshments. You focus on the mournful signage.” (S2.E5) \u2013 Milchick: Green room before announcing layoffs, probably.“But surely beer and juleps cannot fill the void left by love. Indeed only wine can achieve this, but it is famously costly, which is why sadness is among the most recurrent issues facing the poor.” (S2.E3) \u2013 Ricken Hale: The leadership gap defined.“The truth you seek lies within The Fourth Appendix.”(s2.E4) \u2013 Milchick: Sadly, The Fourth Appendix was saved in OneDrive, and has yet to be re-located.“Yeah, well, with the market readjustment from a few years ago and the fluctuating interest rates, there was a retrenchment from some of the core infrastructure investments.” (S2.E8) \u2013 Hampton: If you know, you know.“I’ve wanted to pummel Mark myself, but I am his employer.” (S1.E1) \u2013 Harmony Cobel: If this was pre\u2013 or post-HR training, we’ll never know.      Corporate life: CIA field manual on how employees use simple sabotage in an organization                Written to thwart the rise of fascism, the CIA Simple Sabotage Field Manual detailed how to subvert an organization with "purposeful stupidity." Some might call the 1944 publication a timeless corporate wonder... or a how-to guide.      The You You Are: Severance quotes for work, manifesto-styleDr. Ricken Hale is the author of inspirational self-help books, one of which makes it down to the severed floor. The book, titled “The You You Are”, is filled with empty language and quotes that corporate solipsists tend to love, but was actually written to inspire the innies to revolt against their Lumon overlords. (Hale has first-hand experience of the damage wrought by the decision to sever; he’s also the brother-in-law of Mark, one of the main characters).Members of the Macrodata Refinement team (MDR) hide the book, then share what they’ve read with their coworkers. This leads them to question their very existence \u2013 as well as the morality of those who created them.From cringe-worthy to revolution-inspiring, following are some of the best Severance quotes from “The You You Are”:“A society with festering workers cannot flourish, just as a man with rotting toes cannot skip.”“What separates man from machine is that machines cannot think for themselves. Also they are made of metal, whereas man is made of skin.”“A good person will follow the rules. A great person will follow himself.”“Bullies are nothing but BULL and LIES.”“At the center of industry is ‘dust’.”“If you are a soldier, do not fight for my freedom. Fight for the freedom of the soldier fighting next to you.”“Our job is to taste free air. Your so-called boss may own the clock that taunts you from the wall, but, my friends, the hour is yours.”“Should you find yourself contorting to fit a system, dear reader, stop, and ask if it’s truly you that must change, or the system.”“They cannot crucify you if your hand is in a fist.”Ultimately, Hale’s words do as he dreamed: the MDR team secretly collaborates and triggers the Overtime Contingency Protocol, which allows the innies to awaken in the outside world, taking over their outie selves for a brief, but critical, time.Devour feculence: Ideas and inspiration, via quotes from SeveranceInitially wary upon learning about the existence of other departments on their floor, MDR team members quickly realize they’ve much in common with the coworkers they’ve been taught to fear. Stilted corporate-speak gives way to hope and idealism as they realize that courage begets courage.Along the road to redemption and reinvention, Severance quotes offer possible email subject lines that are certain to elicit high click rates, such as:“What have you done, little mouse?”“They know everything we’re doing.”“May I introduce choreography and merriment.”“I think you wanna do what’s right.”“Doug Graner is dead. [\u2026] The Board finds this deeply troubling.”“I don\u2019t know what\u2019s gotten into you people today.”“You\u2019ve been living a nightmare for two years”“Point number one: \ud83e\udd86 you.”“Hey. Can I get a little help?”“The efficacy test will begin shortly.”“I guess this is the part where I should tell you to go to Hell… except you’re already here.”“I have to leave.”“Page 197 slaps.”“My wife’s being held prisoner at Lumon and I just got brain surgery in my basement.”Severance quotes also provide potential email signatures, like:“Revel now in the fruit of your labors.”“Child. Do not test me.”“You pretended to care about me pretty well.”“Why do you bring nothing but woe into my life?”“Thank you for that feedback, Seth.”“You don\u2019t value me; you fear me.”“Tell her to drop dead for me.”“And remember: hang in there!”” \ud83e\udd86 you, Lumon\/it’s never enough.”“And until you get that through your mildewed little brain and hit quota, MDR’s hallway privileges are hereby revoked.”“The important thing is you find someone it seems you can trust, and you tell them everything.”At the end of season two, the innies realize that when banded together rather than turned against one another, they have the potential to influence the leadership decisions of Lumon Enterprises. Some of the inspirational quotes from Severance that powered a revolution include:“And of course, the best photographs are of groups of happy friends. But I think camaraderie is more than smiling together in photos. It’s standing together in hard times. It’s recognizing a common struggle in another person and reaching out to offer them a loving hand.” \u201cWhatever this life is, it’s all we have. And we don’t want it to end. Can you understand that?\u201d“This desk used to have four seats. Our friend Irving is gone, and they want our whole department gone. If he gets out, we\u2019re dead. They\u2019re gonna turn us off like f*cking machines. You\u2019ve seen them do it. I know you\u2019ve lost friends, too. And you could be next.”“If the Eagan philosophy is illumination above all \u2013 then why doesn’t that include us? Why are we down here still working in the dark?”“They give us half a life and think we won\u2019t fight for it.”This content is hosted by a third party ( www.youtube.com ).To view the content, either update your cookie preferences or view it in a new browser window.Cookie PreferencesNew WindowThe surest way to tame a prisoner is to let him believe he’s free: The woe, frolic, dread, and malice of corporate lifeConfounding performance reviews, highly questionable rewards and punishments, leadership lacking empathy, a mysterious board that isn’t seen nor heard \u2013 except via a corporate translator; these are concepts that Severance viewers may initially struggle to comprehend. Indeed, the massive popularity of the series could be seen as a promising indicator that the working class is capable of expanding their intellectual horizons by embracing such imaginative notions.Quotes from Severance that may or may not resonate to people working in corporations:“Some residual trauma is to be expected after such an ordeal.”(S2.E5) \u2013 Mr. Drummond“I am a person. You are not. I make the decisions. You do not.”(S1.E4) \u2013 Helly R.“I welcome your contrition.”(S2.E2) \u2013 Mrs. Cobel“Go lick a boot, Mark.”(S1.E4) \u2013 Helly R.\u00a0“Well, it’s rare to meet a sophisticate.”(S1.E2) \u2013 Burt G.“Tight department like us gotta keep our synergy up.”(S1.E3) \u2013 Felicia“The impression you\u2019ve left on me is indelible, though I\u2019m unaware of it on a conscious level, and\u2026I will never forget any of you, even though sitting here right now, I have no recollection of actually ever meeting you and no idea of your names or any of your physical characteristics or even how many of you there are.”(S1.E7) \u2013 Burt Goodman“….if you want a hug, go to hell and find your mother.”(S1.E4) \u2013 Harmony Cobel“The team I thought I knew would have processed more thoughtfully.”(S2.E4) \u2013 Milchick“I think you\u2019ve overestimated your contributions.”(S2.E3) \u2013 Helena“I mean, I’m 99% sure there was no coup.”(S1.E3) \u2013 MarkThe severed innies working at Lumon Industries have never warmed their faces in the sun, nor seen the sky. Created to do the work that the elite don’t want to do, they know only the mundane and dark side of corporate life, ultimately making them ripe for rebellion.Cesar A. Cruz famously said, “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable”. Only upon viewing Severance can one decide which category they fall into \u2013 and what lessons \u2013 if any \u2013 they’ll glean from it.  What happens in Vegas …\u00a0creates connections + drives results.Join hundreds of customer experience experts at CX Connect Oct. 6-8. Register\u00a0HERE."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2025","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2025\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"03","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2025\/\/03\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"24","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2025\/\/03\/\/24\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"The grim barbarity of optics and design: Severance quotes for work","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2025\/03\/24\/severance-quotes-for-work\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]