Maybe that's what these films are doing. They are my way of blessing the child
Hayao MiyazakiRead
To be born means being compelled to choose an era, a place, a life. To exist here, now, means to lost the possibility of being countless other potential selves.. Yet once being born there is no turning back. And I think that's exactly why the fantasy worlds of cartoon movies so strongly represent our hopes and yearnings. They illustrate a world of lost possibilities for us.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Life presents us with choices that shape our identity, and once we are born, we cannot return to our lost potential selves.
In this profound quote by Hayao Miyazaki, he reflects on the nature of existence and the choices we make upon being born. Every individual is faced with the inherent limitations of time and geography, and while we have the freedom to choose our paths in life, that freedom simultaneously means forgoing numerous other possibilities for who we could have been. The allure of fantasy worlds in films, as Miyazaki suggests, lies in their ability to resonate with our dreams of what could have been, offering a glimpse into those lost potentials that linger in our minds.
Themes
ExistenceChoicesPotentialIdentityFantasy
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a graduation speech to inspire students to embrace their own paths.
More from Hayao Miyazaki
All quotes →I wanted to convey the message to children that this life is worth living.
Hayao MiyazakiRead
You must see with eyes unclouded by hate. See the good in that which is evil, and the evil in that which is good. Pledge yourself to neither side, but vow instead to preserve the balance that exists between the two.
Hayao MiyazakiRead
But remember this, Japanese boy... airplanes are not tools for war. They are not for making money. Airplanes are beautiful dreams. Engineers turn dreams into reality.
Hayao MiyazakiRead
I’d like to see Manhattan underwater. I’d like to see when the human population plummets and there are no more high rises, because nobody’s buying them. I’m excited about that. Money and desire—all that is going to collapse, and wild green grasses are going to take over.
Hayao MiyazakiRead
The villains are all parts of me. For years I've been wondering what it would be like if all those negative elements were forced onto the main character's side. I can understand a character with that kind of anger.
Hayao MiyazakiRead
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