9 Quotes & Sayings By Jimmy Chin

Jimmy Chin is one of the world’s leading filmmakers. He has been a professional climber for more than a decade and a half, and his first climbing documentary, Meru, won the Best Documentary Feature at the 2009 Academy Awards. His first feature-length movie, free soloing Yosemite’s El Capitan, premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically in 2015 to critical acclaim. In 2015 he was named one of "Time" magazine's 100 Most Influential People Read more

His next film, Meru, will be released in 2017.

1
People who aren’t in that space will be like ‘So how was your trip?’ and you don’t even go into it. ‘I guess it was pretty good.’ And then you talk to other people who have been there and they know exactly why your eyes are glazed over. Jimmy Chin
2
The way we approached Meru, and the way we approach a lot of these mountains, is with humility. A sense of, 'Is it going to give us passage?' Your mental attitude can affect the outcome. Jimmy Chin
3
The two great risks are risking too much but also risking too little. That's for each person to decide. For me, not risking anything is worse than death. By far. Jimmy Chin
4
I truly believe the intention of creating positive change is so important to the collective consciousness. When you have a group of people that have the intention and the capacity, talent, and intelligence to actualize those intentions, then you have something really powerful. Jimmy Chin
5
I feel like I'm doing what I love. If I can get out, shoot, film and climb, and be with my friends and family, I'm happy. It doesn't take a lot. I don't need to climb huge mountains. I have a deep connection with wilderness and the environment, and I'm thankful for that. Jimmy Chin
6
A lot of why I climb is for the friendship, the loyalty and trust, the shared experience of being in that moment. Jimmy Chin
7
Mentorship is an incredibly huge responsibility. And you need to choose your mentors carefully, just like mentors choose their apprentices carefully. There has to be trust there, on a very deep level. Jimmy Chin
8
I loved going to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial in Taipei to watch all the old Chinese people doing tai chi and practicing kung fu. The monument was made of white marble, and it was beautiful. Sometimes my dad and I would practice with them. Jimmy Chin