I was born in a world of opera, theatre, films, poetry, art, and therefore, out of the wire, I made a stage. That's why they call me a high wire artist.
Philippe PetitRead
It would be very, very dangerous for a wire walker to experience fear while he is balancing on the wire. Fear has its place on earth, before and maybe after a high-wire walk, but not during for me.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Fear can hinder performance when facing challenges, but it should not interfere during critical moments.
In this quote, Philippe Petit emphasizes the importance of maintaining focus and composure when facing high-pressure situations. He suggests that while fear is a natural emotion to acknowledge before and after a challenge, it should not take hold during the act itself, especially in scenarios requiring precision and balance, such as wire walking. This perspective highlights the need for mental clarity and confidence in executing difficult tasks.
Themes
FearCourageBalanceFocusPerformance
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about overcoming challenges, you might say, 'As Philippe Petit once noted, fear has its place, but during critical moments, we must find our balance and focus.'
More from Philippe Petit
All quotes →On a very long and very high wire, I will not hope to not be blown off by high winds. I will have the certitude that such could not happen.
Philippe PetitRead
Many people use the words 'death defying' or 'death wishing' when they talk about wire-walking. Many people have asked me: 'So do you have a death wish?' After doing a beautiful walk, I feel like punching them in the nose. It's indecent. I have a life wish.
Philippe PetitRead
It's very easy to walk on a wire if you spend a whole lifetime practicing for it.
Philippe PetitRead
I am not up there by chance. I am there by choice. And I know the wire. And I know my limits. And I am a madman of details.
Philippe PetitRead
It is treacherous on a high wire to change your focus point and suddenly look down.
Philippe PetitRead
Similar quotes
If you think somebody cares about you and believes your life is worth saving, how can you give up?
Geraldine FerraroRead
I gave myself permission to care, because there are a lot of people in this world who are afraid of caring, or afraid of showing that they care because it's uncool. It's uncool to have passion. It's so much easier to lose when you've shown everyone how much you don't care if you win or lose. It's much harder to lose when you show that you care, but, you'll never win, unless you also stand to lose. Don't be afraid of your passion.
Tom HiddlestonRead
I am of certain convinced that the greatest heroes are those who do their duty in the daily grind of domestic affairs whilst the world whirls as a maddening dreidel.
Florence NightingaleRead
It takes courage to grieve, to honor the pain we carry. We can grieve in tears or in meditative silence, in prayer or in song. In touching the pain of recent and long-held griefs, we come face to face with our genuine human vulnerability, with helplessness and hopelessness. These are the storm clouds of the heart.
Jack KornfieldRead
For us, driving is not what we are looking for, but being in the driver's seat of our only destiny. That means ending guardianship in Saudi Arabia, which means recognizing women as full citizens.
Manal Al-SharifRead
What I've noticed is not only in the military, but in the first responders community, that when you reach out your hand to help one of them, they almost always grab your hand with only one of theirs, because they're using their other hand to reach behind them and pull up somebody else with them.
Taya KyleRead