Spike Jonze Quotes

Looking back on my life, I wish I'd stepped forward and made a fool of myself more often when I was younger - because when you do, you find out you can do it.

Nobody knows what they're doing, so don't be afraid to try things.

My advice is don't keep asking yourself if you can do something. Just get out there and do it. You can really surprise yourself.

I was shy. I was painfully shy, until fifth grade when I transferred to another school and befriended the class clown. And one day he was sick and I kinda stepped in for the class clown and I said, 'Wow, this is exciting, I'm a little bit nervous.'

I think what I would say to my younger self, and probably to younger, just starting-out writers is that a lot of times you're just afraid to put yourself out there, and it's uncomfortable because it's working up the courage to do something, to push yourself to do those things.

I was always much more shy. All I knew was that I loved to act. But I don't know about the other part of it. I'm not sure I had the chutzpah to go and prove yourself.

No one got anywhere by being too scared to open their mouth in case nobody laughed.

By middle school, I said to myself that it's time I begin to speak. I joined the choir, not because I wanted to. I forced myself.

You have to really be courageous about your instincts and your ideas. Otherwise you'll just knuckle under, and things that might have been memorable will be lost.

I've definitely learned that if you really want something, just go for it, no matter how much it scares you.

I tend to do things that I'm very frightened of. That's what I do.

If you can get yourself where you're not afraid of dying, then you can move forward a lot faster.

I've been trying to figure out for at least the last 10 years how to force myself into something more risky.

Do things that are uncomfortable to do. I say that because women tend to step back from things that they don't know about. And the second, most important one is, push through the fear.

Whenever I get stuck on something, I'm like, 'What would I do if I wasn't afraid? What would I write if I wasn't afraid? What would I say in this situation if I wasn't afraid?'

A lot of guys... they want to take the big shot, and they talk about it because they're scared of it. You never heard me talk about it. You heard a lot of guys talk about it. But you don't have to talk about it, because if you have the confidence in yourself, and your team believes in you, you don't fear anything. You don't fear losing.

You can't be afraid to embarrass yourself sometimes.

I just feel it's a shame to let fear get in your way and stop you achieving things.

My main advice is, if it's something you really want to do, then just go for it.

I was a little careful when I first started off. A lot of times, for example, I thought, 'Oh, I can't pull that song off.' I should have just done it.

If you're afraid to do something then you're probably never going to achieve it.

I was terrified to go solo. It's lonely doing it by myself. But I wanted to challenge myself.

I learned that if you want something, you've got to really go for it, try to put the nerves aside.

It's important that you are not embarrassed when you try something new.

I just say go for it and be yourself, even if you're scared or nervous, because you'll never know what happens if you don't try.