Paul Dano Quotes

The New England conscience does not stop you from doing what you shouldn't-it just stops you from enjoying it.

I can express the brooding part of myself on-screen. It's kind of fun to get to do the bratty things I really wouldn't do. And then I get to go back to my regular life.

Shame is the turnkey that keeps our evil desires in jail.

The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within.

Whilst shame keeps its watch, virtue is not wholly extinguished in the heart; nor will moderation be utterly exiled from the minds of tyrants.

I'm actually an evil bastard in real life. Fark allows me to vent weirdness. Thank god for that, too.

Many a man gets weary of clamping down on his rough impulses, which if given occasional release would encourage the living of life with salt in it, in place of dust.

The New England conscience doesn't keep you from doing what you shouldn't - it just keeps you from enjoying it.

The disgrace of others often keeps tender minds from vice.

What kept me out of trouble is going right to the edge and then... thinking that my mother would be embarrassed, and that I didn't want to embarrass her, and that my father would be embarrassed, and I just didn't want to do that to my family.

Allowing children to show their guilt, show their grief, show their anger, takes the sting out of the situation.

A person is born with desires of the eyes and ears, and a liking for beautiful sights and sounds. If he gives way to them, they will lead him to immorality and lack of restriction, and any ritual principles and propriety will be abandoned.

It is a monstrous thing that I will say, but I will say it all the same: I find in many things more restraint and order in my morals than in my opinions, and my lust less depraved than my reason.

Living with a conscience is like driving with the brakes on.

I hold a lot of things in. I'm always making sure everybody is okay. I usually don't rage; I usually don't curse. So for me, it's a great thing to be able to scream and say whatever I want.

Religion which lays so many restraints upon us, is a troublesome companion to those who will lay no restraints upon themselves.

Just because I don't do bad things doesn't mean I don't have bad thoughts.

I don't think any of us know how we would react until we were put in a situation where we have to do something bad or do something good. I think I'd like to believe I'd act like a decent human being, but I'm realistic to know I don't know.

I have a huge and savage conscience that won't let me get away with things.

It's just so much more fun to play bad than good. Plus it's just good to get that out of your system so it doesn't show up in your personal life.

Where would we be without inhibitions? They're quite useful things when you look at some of the things humans do if they lose them.

In movies, you get to explore parts of yourself that in real life, people shy away from, like looking stupid or embarrassing yourself or getting too angry, anything inappropriate. As an actor, you walk into those moments.

All laws which can be broken without any injury to another, are counted but a laughing-stock, and are so far from bridling the desires and lusts of men, that on the contrary they stimulate them.

I love being an idiot, and acting lets you be an idiot.

I wear my emotions on my sleeve. If I keep that bottled up, it's not going to be good. It's all going to come out at some point in time. I would rather it come out in little bits and pieces than me try to hold it in.