Quotes by Viggo Mortensen

“What´s the most especial thing about being a father? Everything.”

“I have never been in a natural place and felt that was a waste of time. I never have. And its a relief. If Im walking around a desert or whatever, every second is worthwhile.”

“We all experience many freakish and unexpected events - you have to be open to suffering a little. The philosopher Schopenhauer talked about how out of the randomness, there is an apparent intention in the fate of an individual that can be glimpsed later on. When you are an old guy, you can look back, and maybe this rambling life has some through-line. Others can see it better sometimes. But when you glimpse it yourself, you see it more clearly than anyone”

“I have friends who I get along with who I know get very uncomfortable being alone, unless theyre with people, talking all the time. Whether its on the phone, or in person, theyre never by themselves. Whereas I could be alone for months”

“It comes down to the fact that you supply the blue, and they supply the other colors and mix them with your blue, and maybe theres some blue left in the painting and maybe there isnt. Maybe there wasnt supposed to be any there in the first place. So have some fun and make a good blue and walk away.”

You dont have to make something that people call art. Living is an artistic activity, there is an art to getting through the day.

Be kind. Its worthwhile to make an effort to learn about other people and figure out what you might have in common with them.

We all experience many freakish and unexpected events - you have to be open to suffering a little. The philosopher Schopenhauer talked about how out of the randomness, there is an apparent intention in the fate of an individual that can be glimpsed later on. When you are an old guy, you can look back, and maybe this rambling life has some through-line. Others can see it better sometimes. But when you glimpse it yourself, you see it more clearly than anyone.

Im just looking as always for something thats stimulating and I hope to find a good story thats a challenge, whether its big or small. Or that it finds me. I dont have like a career plan. Maybe I should, but I dont.

You know, Freud accepted his lot very stoically and very well and with a sense of humor. He aged and died gracefully, and theres a lot to be said for that.

Ignorance breeds antipathy. Until I got to know how computers worked, I didnt want anything to do with them. I said, Well, why do I need them? I write letters. Which I still do.

I suppose a good director is like a teacher. I think that someone like David Cronenberg was very much like a teacher, because theres an openness, but a certain set of rules of behavior, and a certain conduct expected. But theres an atmosphere thats relaxed and conducive to exploration, and that is created by someone like Cronenberg.

Im not afraid of death, but I resent it. I think its unfair and irritating.

Life is short and the older you get, the more you feel it. Indeed, the shorter it is. People lose their capacity to walk, run, travel, think, and experience life. I realise how important it is to use the time I have.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from a horse master. He told me to go slow to go fast. I think that applies to everything in life. We live as though there arent enough hours in the day but if we do each thing calmly and carefully we will get it done quicker and with much less stress.

Its amazing to me that Glenn Beck can be on the cover of Time, and there can be a whole article about him basically saying, Well, you know, hes controversial. Its like, No, hes a dangerous idiot who needs the help of a good psychiatrist!

I dont think Adam Sandler or Will Ferrell fear competition from me in their arena.

One of the main ways that leadership stays in power is by, in various ways, convincing people that they should just let those who are in government govern: Trust us. Trust me. Just let us take care of things. Stay out of it. Your opinions dont really matter. You are isolated. You are insignificant.

Travel is one of the best anti-war weapons that there are. Ive been to Iran, and if youre there you see little kids, cops, old people, cemeteries. Once you see that, you cant say, Oh, Iran, lets bomb them.

Being an actor, imitating to the point of inhabiting the lives of others, may simply be a way of continuing to do what I learned to do as a boy - to travel, mentally and physically.