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My father could have been a great comedian, but he didn't believe that that was possible for him, and so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant. When I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job, and our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.
Jim Carrey
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes the importance of pursuing one's passions rather than settling for a 'safe' choice that may lead to regret.

In this quote, Jim Carrey reflects on the life lessons he learned from his father, who chose a conventional career over his true passion for comedy. Carrey suggests that choosing a safe route can lead to failure just as easily as taking risks, thus encouraging individuals to pursue what they genuinely love instead of conforming to expectations. His message is one of empowerment, highlighting that it is worth taking chances in life to fulfill one’s dreams.

Themes

RiskPassionFailureDreamsLife Choices

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech about following your dreams.

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It was such a leap in my career when 'Truman Show' came along. It's always been a long process for me insofar as recognition goes, but that's OK because you appreciate it when it comes.
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I wake up some mornings and sit and have my coffee and look out at my beautiful garden, and I go, 'Remember how good this is. Because you can lose it.'
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When the first big paycheque with 'Dumb And Dumber' hit, I went: 'Gosh, I wonder if this will affect my performance. Will I do a take and think, was that worth $7 million?' But that never happened. If anything, it made me rebel against that thing when people who get rich start playing it safe.
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