60 Dr. Spencer Reid Quotes to Help You Decode a Criminal Mind

Dr. Spencer Reid is a genius who specializes in behavioral analysis. Holding multiple PhDs, Dr. Reid uses what he has learned to dive deep into the minds of criminals: hence, he can uncover some of their thought processes.

"Criminal Minds" follows the exploits of a group of criminal profilers working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). They are part of the Behavioral Analysis Unit and help investigate crimes. Additionally, the series also shows the characters in their personal capacities.

"Criminal Minds" was a hit throughout its 15-season run as audiences were intrigued by the ingenuity of the Special Agents when uncovering the minds of criminals. The following quotes reveal some extracts from Dr. Reid's thoughts, beliefs, and personality.

Dr. Spencer Reid's quote: “I know what it’s like to be afraid of your own mind.” | Source: Amodays

Dr. Spencer Reid Quotes Showing His Nerd Nature

“Evil can't be scientifically defined. It's an illusory moral concept that doesn't exist in nature. Its origins and connotations have been inextricably linked to religion and mythology.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“I know what it’s like to be afraid of your own mind.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified, but I do have an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, and can read 20,000 words per minute. Yes, I'm a genius.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Although the observable universe is continually expanding, there's really no way of knowing the whole thing is gonna ultimately collapse into one gargantuan Black Hole.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Lila, believe me when I say this, I've never known a normal day in my entire life.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

Dr. Spencer Reid's quote: “That makes no sense. You can’t catch a falling star. It would burn up in the atmosphere.” | Source: Amodays

“The Greeks translated ‘puppets’ as ‘neurospasta,’ which literally means string-pulling. And throughout time they've been used as a method to tell kings a story so the subjects didn't have to speak directly to him.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“This is calm, and it’s ‘Dr.'” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Reid: I don't know everything. I mean, despite the fact that you think that I do.

Morgan: I never said that. When have I ever said that?

Reid: Every day since I met you!” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“That makes no sense. You can’t catch a falling star. It would burn up in the atmosphere.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Medieval medical practitioners believed that chickens could absorb illness. They would rub the birds all over the bodies of the diseased in an attempt to rid them of their sickness.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

Dr. Spencer Reid's quote: “Logic dictates that if you believe in one, you have to reconcile the existence of the other.” | Source: Amodays

“Dr. Spencer Reid: Braden certainly would be vulnerable. Unlike classic autism, language ability is intact in people with Asperger's. They appear to lack empathy and have trouble reading social cues. Albert Einstein supposedly had it, as do some well-known Silicon Valley types.

Alex Blake: Well, how about you?

Dr. Spencer Reid: What's that?” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Logic dictates that if you believe in one, you have to reconcile the existence of the other.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“The Afro-Caribbean syncretic religions began when slaves mixed their traditional religions with Catholicism in order to camouflage them. The elements in this altar look to me like Santeria. It's a Yoruban-based religion developed in Cuba. Practitioners worship Orishas, deities that roughly correspond with Catholic saints.”– Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Actually, there aren’t that many scientific errors in Star Trek, especially considering how long ago it was made. There are certain improbabilities, but not that many outright errors.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Morgan: What makes you feel confident?

Reid: Statistics.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

Dr. Spencer Reid's quote: “The number of pathogens passed during a handshake is staggering. It's actually safer to kiss.” | Source: Amodays

“Depression is a vicious cycle. It frequently manifests itself in the degradation of one's personal living environment, which in turn, fuels the depression, which then worsens the living environment.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“[to the waitress after having difficulty with his chopsticks] Excuse me, could I get a fork perhaps? [everyone laughs] Did you know that experts credit Confucius with the advent of the chopstick? He equated knives with acts of aggression.” — Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“The number of pathogens passed during a handshake is staggering. It's actually safer to kiss.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“The cool thing about Halloween is that it's a uniquely American holiday. I mean, despite its obvious origins in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian All Saints' Day, it really is a melting pot of various immigrants' traditions and beliefs. It became a little more commercialized in the 1950s with trick-or-treat, and today it rivals only Christmas in terms of popularity.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Well, the brain is a machine, designed to respond to stimuli. You keep the brain awake but the body immobile, it breaks down, loses its hair. After two months it eventually strokes out.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

Dr. Spencer Reid's quote: “You'd be surprised how many killers do what they do because of their parents.” | Source: Amodays

“Aaron Hotchner: There are lots of ways that sons defeat their fathers.

Dr. Spencer Reid: I just keep getting Ph.D.s.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

Dr. Spencer Reid Quotes Related to Psychology

“Referring to oneself in the third person is not uncommon for an unsub. Ted Bundy gave thoroughly detailed accounts of his murders, but he never actually admitted doing any of them, he'd just say, ‘the killer.’” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“You'd be surprised how many killers do what they do because of their parents.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Reid: No one gets therapy these days without a healthy dose of medication.

Garcia: What are you implying, Reid?

Reid: That everyone is medicated.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Typically, voyeurs are nonviolent and content to remain bystanders.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

Dr. Spencer Reid's quote: “Nothing violates one's sense of security more than being attacked in their own home.” | Source: Amodays

“There's something known as the magical age, between nine and 12, when a child's psyche is more malleable.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Dr. Spencer Reid: Do you wanna know why horror movies are so successful?

Derek Morgan: Why is that, genius?

Dr. Spencer Reid: They prey on our instinctual need to survive. In tribal days, a woman's scream would signal danger and the men would return from hunting to protect their pack. That's why it's always the women and not the men who fall victim to the bogeyman.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Nothing violates one's sense of security more than being attacked in their own home.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“She obviously did nothing to protect Amber from the abuse. She...she feels betrayed by her mother and now receives extreme sadistic pleasure in watching the same thing that happened to her. Strange. In this case, the abused actually became the abuser.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“You know, oftentimes when a stalker's advances are completely ignored, their erotomanic fantasies will be diverted to a more receptive target.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

Dr. Spencer Reid's quote: Hotch, repetitive thinking is a death mill for the brain. For complete brain usage, diverse stimulation is the key.” | Source: Amodays

“You know, he might have Capgras syndrome. It's a delusional disorder in which one believes that their friends and loved ones have been replaced by imposters.” —– Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Arsonists are often mission-based. They need to make sure their first fire has burnt out before they set another one. They're also highly disciplined and focused...” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Hotch, repetitive thinking is a death mill for the brain. For complete brain usage, diverse stimulation is the key.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“You know, 14 is when we start to make our own musical choices. Our cognitive development evolves at that age and we start to form our own cultural identity.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Actually, some studies indicate that men take twice as many selfies as women 'cause it's considered to be an acceptable form of male vanity.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

Dr. Spencer Reid's quote: “The most important question anyone can ask is: what myth am I living?” | Source: Amodays

“Moral vigilantism typically has its roots in repression and guilt. This generally manifests itself in low self-esteem and self-loathing. By punishing others, the unsub may also be punishing himself.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

Dr. Spencer Reid Quotes from Iconic Moments

“The most important question anyone can ask is: what myth am I living?” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“No matter how fast light travels, darkness is always faster and is waiting for it.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“To get away with murder, you simply don't tell anyone.”– Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“The business of incarceration is extremely lucrative and virtually recession proof.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

Dr. Spencer Reid's quote: “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” | Source: Amodays

“Bullying leaves lasting scars.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Members of the Manson family left watermelon rinds at the scene of the crime and also painted panther paws on the wall [...] in the hopes of convincing authorities that the Black Panther Party was responsible.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“I'm gonna walk you through a scenario and your face is gonna tell me how close I am. From the moment I arrested you, you watched and waited for the right time to take your revenge. When you learned I was going to Mexico, you took it. You and Lindsey framed me for murder so I'd be put in prison and treated like a criminal, and then you kidnapped my mother so I would know how it feels to have a parent manipulated, because you want to prove that you and I are the same. Am I right?” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“It has been said that time heals all wounds. I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue, and the pain lessens, but it is never gone.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

Dr. Spencer Reid's quote: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.” | Source: Amodays

“Yes, there are monsters, and it’s okay to be afraid of them, but it’s not okay to let them win, and it’s not okay to be one.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“The interchange between the 405 and the 101 freeways is consistently rated the worst interchange in the entire world.”– Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“I guess now I know what a parent feels like when their kid grows up. Someone who's depended on you for so long and then suddenly they're off living their own life and they don't really need you anymore.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

Dr. Spencer Reid's quote: “In life, unlike chess, the game continues after checkmate.” | Source: Amodays

“I never have any normal fans.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“In life, unlike chess, the game continues after checkmate.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“The Mountain Man seems to be a confluence of several local legends. Some say he's part of the backwoods Appalachian population, others say he's a confederate holdout trying to start a second civil war to turn brother against brother. But the one thing they all could agree upon is that when you go into a darkened bathroom and you chant "I hate The Mountain Man" three times, he'll pop up behind you and kill you the next time you hear Lynyrd Skynyrd on the radio!” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Sometimes for an artist, the only difference between insanity and genius is success.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

Dr. Spencer Reid's quote: “Actually, it’s more like we’re looking for a needle in a pile of needles. A needle would stand out in a haystack.” | Source: Amodays

“Actually, [candles] were originally used to protect the birthday celebrant from demons for the coming year. As a matter of fact, down to the fourth century, Christianity rejected the birthday celebration as a pagan ritual.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Reid: [referring to the bomber's phone call warning of an attack 'where it all began'] So Seattle's 'where it all began.'

Morgan: We just need to figure out what "it" is and, off the top of my head, I can think of grunge music and overpriced coffee.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“Actually, it’s more like we’re looking for a needle in a pile of needles. A needle would stand out in a haystack.” – Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

“You know Garcia, she carries a laptop, not a gun. She can't even look at crime scene photos without needing pictures of panda bears to counter balance them.”– Dr. Spencer Reid, “Criminal Minds”

Dr. Spencer Reid's quote: “No matter how fast light travels, darkness is always faster and is waiting for it. | Source: Amodays

Quotes from Dr. Reid highlight some exciting elements of how criminal minds work. The show, "Criminal Minds," which featured Hollywood stars such as Jennifer Love Hewitt and Aubrey Plaza, remains one of the best crime shows.

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