You’ve got to be crazy! It’s too late to be sane, too late. You’ve got to go full tilt bozo... ‘Cause you’re only given a little spark of madness... and if you lose that, you’re nothing
Interpretation
Embrace your uniqueness and creativity, as they are essential to your identity.
This quote by Robin Williams reflects the idea that embracing one's eccentricities and 'madness' is crucial to living a fulfilling life. It suggests that conformity can stifle creativity and individuality, and encourages people to fully engage with their unique spark of creativity, as it is what makes life worth living.
In practice
In a motivational speech about creativity and innovation.
It's that idea that you can have one drink - and no you can't. Within a week I was drinking heavily. It was so quick that even I was like, 'Wow.' Because you have that initial warm feeling going, 'Oh, I remember this'. And your body does, too. And your body goes, 'Yeah, so do I'. Then the demon voice comes, 'Yeah, so do I. You know what would be great? You know we bought a little bottle before? A full bottle would be wonderful'.
I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself.
Sometimes over things that I did, movies that didn't turn out very well - you go, 'Why did you do that?' But in the end, I can't regret them because I met amazing people. There was always something that was worth it.
I've never been asked to appear on 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!,' so I guess I mustn't be on the professional skids just yet.
The Statue of Liberty is no longer saying, 'Give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses.' She's got a baseball bat and yelling, 'You want a piece of me?'
I write on big yellow legal pads - ideas in outline form when I'm doing stand-up and stuff. It's vivid that way. I can't type it into an iPad - I think that would put a filter into the process.
I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way.
If it's painful, you become willing not just to endure it but also to let it awaken your heart and soften you. You learn to embrace it.
Instead of jumping at the chance to be offended, choose to be amused. Rather than filling your thoughts with resentment, fill your heart with forgiveness.
I have always fought for ideas - until I learned that it isn't ideas but grief, struggle, and flashes of vision which enlighten.
Life is too short to be wasted in finding answers. Enjoy the questions.
If in this hell of a world one can bring a little joy and peace even for a day into the heart of a single person, that much alone is true; this I have learnt after suffering all my life; all else is mere moonshine.
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