17 Quotes & Sayings By Ethan Hawke

Ethan Hawke is an actor, writer and director. His film credits include Training Day, Sin City, Gattaca and the Baader-Meinhof Trilogy. He received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in the 1999 film Reality Bites and a SAG nomination for his performance in the HBO series Deadwood. He is also known for his roles in Romeo + Juliet, The Hire and Off Centre.

1
If you can channel the best part of you that is bigger than yourself, where it’s not about your ego and not about getting ahead, then you can have fun and you aren’t jealous of others. You see other people's talent as another branch of your own. You can keep it rooted in joy. Life is long and there are plenty of opportunities to make mistakes. The point of it all is to learn. Ethan Hawke
2
Often we imagine that we will work hard until we arrive at some distant goal, and then we will be happy. This is a delusion. Happiness is the result of a life lived with purpose. Happiness is not an objective. It is the movement of life itself, a process, and an activity. It arises from curiosity and discovery. Seek pleasure and you will quickly discover the shortest path to suffering. Other people, friends, brothers, sisters, neighbors, spouses, even your mother and I are not responsible for your happiness. Your life is your responsibility, and you always have the choice to do your best. Doing your best will bring happiness. Do not be overconcerned with avoiding pain or seeking pleasure. If you are concentrating on the results of your actions, you are not dedicated to your task. Ethan Hawke
3
Remember, a friend does not need you to impress him. A friend loves you because you are true to yourself, not because you agree with him. Beware of grand gestures; the real mettle of friendship is forged in life's daily workings. Ethan Hawke
Don't you find it odd,
4
Don't you find it odd, " she continued, "that when you're a kid, everyone, all the world, encourages you to follow your dreams. But when you're older, somehow they act offended if you even try. Ethan Hawke
5
Those who cannot easily forgive will not collect many friends. Look for the best in others and yourself. Ethan Hawke
6
A knight sets out to illuminate the darkness in society, not from its leaves but from its roots. This is how justice will be realized. Find the source Ethan Hawke
7
Arrogance is born of insecurity. Pride is different. It is born of dignity, self-worth, and self-respect. We all see the world through the prism of our identity. If our self-worth is low, it affects everything we do. The point of life is to contribute to others, but without a certain self-regard, it is sometimes difficult to make breakfast. Ethan Hawke
8
We all see the world through the prism of our identity. Ethan Hawke
9
With practice, you build the road to accomplish your goals. Excellence lives in attention to detail. Give your all, all the time. Don't save anything for the walk home. Ethan Hawke
10
Oddly, with discipline, structure, and order, you will find freedom, anything is possible. Without it, locating your saddle may take all morning. Ethan Hawke
11
The biggest problem in my life is trying to be the kind of man that I want to be, the father that I want to be, and how to process the failure of my marriage. Ethan Hawke
12
I met a lot of famous people when I was about 24. And none of them seemed very appealing. And so I didn't know why I would struggle to be that kind of person. Ethan Hawke
13
I think that as soon as you think of yourself as a famous person or anything like that, you're objectifying yourself in some weird way. Ethan Hawke
14
If my kids are doing well, then my life is going pretty well. And if my kids aren't doing well, it doesn't matter how the other elements of my life are. It's kind of amazing to have a context like that. This is really wonderful. Ethan Hawke
15
It's difficult to do a genre film well, and it doesn't matter if you're talking vampire movies or 'Dawn of the Dead' or 'The Thing' or 'Escape From New York.' Those kind of movies, they understand what the old-school B-movie is supposed to be, they get the throwback of it. Ethan Hawke
16
At every turn, when humanity is asked the question, 'Do you want temporary economic gain or long-term environmental loss, which one do you prefer, ' we invariably choose the money. Ethan Hawke