Trent Reznor Quotes

Strive to be authentic all the time. That's sort of my philosophy on life, which applies to acting.

As for my relationship to Beethoven, I admire people who can say what they really think. It's as though he's saying, 'That's how I feel about the world, and I don't care what people may say.' His music is pure and honest. Beethoven never pretends to be anybody else.

I have refused money sometimes for a film. I have refused films when I felt that it was not for me. When it was just a job or just about making money, I said no. I wanted to make every film count, and when you are true to yourself, this gives you a certain integrity and a certain reputation.

It doesn't matter even if I am slow or fast as long as my films are honest and carries my integrity.

I think that people respond to honesty in music, so I only choose songs that are the truth for me.

I would hate to make music and people love me for something that isn't me.

Soul is about authenticity. Soul is about finding the things in your life that are real and pure.

There is no seam between my songs and myself-they really are me. It's not like I'm performing; I'm just singing stuff that I really believe.

I've been really lucky thus far with acting, in that I can do things I believe in and feel good about, and feel good about myself. If for some reason one day that ends, I won't do it anymore. If I feel like I have to compromise myself to continue to be in this industry, I don't want to do that.

To maintain one's individuality, integrity, and true personality in the theatre is a big task.

I would never agree to sing something I didn't feel was 100% me.

I just always make honest music. I just always kinda do what I wanna do.

I just think that you have to approach anything you do with a huge amount of integrity - I don't really care where it comes from, whether it's a children's piece or an adult piece.

Don't be part of the spectacle; be truthful about what you care about and speak from the heart.

Above all, I'm very genuine with my music. I would never sing about something that I can't stand for.

If you pretend to be somebody that you're not when you write songs - and I did that on some of the early Styx albums - nobody cares about what you have to say.

It's just about being honest. I listen to a lot of stuff that's out there, some of which I wrote, and I'm like, 'Where is that? Where's the honesty?' So that's what I want to get to in my music now.

I just have to do what it is going to make me happy, first and foremost - what is honest and what is sincere. Anybody that listens will hopefully connect with that.

I believe that my work has been well-received because it is authentic. All people really want are authenticity and truth.

The music that I write, I have to actually own it and live by it, which is cool. It's no problem.

People like authenticity and I think I have the courage of my convictions and am authentic.

I've failed a million times on stage. I've listened to notes that I knew weren't right. I've pitched ideas and let other people change them, knowing that it was the wrong choice. The question you have to ask yourself is: How do you want to fail? Do you want to fail in a way that feels like it respects your tastes and value system?

My concepts are never bright ideas; they're never notions I think will sell or be trendy or attract new fans. I don't think that way. All I can do is sing from my life.

I always write what feels really true and honest and me.

I don't feel comfortable making empty music.