“People worry about kids playing with guns, and teenagers watching violent videos; we are scared that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands - literally thousands - of songs about broken hearts and rejection and pain and misery and loss.”
Because of his own romantic relationship to music, Rob understands how destructive the lovesick persona presented in art can be to a teenager's psyche. He's concerned about setting realistic expectations for romance in young people's lives.
“It's brilliant, being depressed; you can behave as badly as you like."
Rob realizes that he's indulged his depression long enough when Laura leaves him. He's allowed the state of mind to continue with his full support because he liked the privilege. Nobody would tell him he's a terrible person for being depressed, but he hid behind the depression front in order to avoid taking responsibility for the tangible steps he could take to improve -- like exercising, eating healthy, sleeping enough, etc.
“I'm very good at the past. It's the present I can't understand."
Rob fails to relate to his girlfriends while he's with them. In retrospect, however, he always realizes how wonderful they were and how much he truly cared for them. He needs to understand that the present moment holds more importance than the past. By indulging his nostalgia for too long, he's slipped into a dissociative state.
“It's not what you like but what you are like that's important."
This statement proves a turning point for Rob. He has previously based his identity upon taste and the accumulation of knowledge, at the cost of his character. With this realization he makes changes. He decides to value himself and others based upon decisions and love instead of achievement or opinions.
