What exactly are the "perks" of being a wallflower?

It turns out that being a wallflower isn't such a bad thing. Patrick sums up Charlie's wallflower-like nature by saying, "You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand." Staying quiet and simply observing the absurdity that is high school allows a "wallflower" to navigate through this brutal social labyrinth without getting too caught up in the insanity.