We are running ourselves into a damaged earth. But I am optimistic. I believe that we can change; we must change. As a human race, we are very young and quite primitive. The sooner we learn the greatness of humanity the better off we will all be.

Meaning of the quote

We are hurting our planet, but we can fix it. As people, we are still learning and growing. The sooner we understand how amazing we can be, the better for all of us.

About John Astin

John Astin is a retired American actor and director best known for his role as Gomez Addams in the classic TV series The Addams Family. He has appeared in numerous films and TV shows, including West Side Story, Freaky Friday, and National Lampoon’s European Vacation. Astin has been married three times and is the adoptive father of actor Sean Astin.

More about the author

More quotes from John Astin

My work is to reach people with ideas, hopes, dreams, encouragement, insight, and revelation. That’s what an actor wants to do.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

I think people really want to be happy.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

Poe was a student of many things, and among those things he read and referred to in his work was the Bible.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

The themes Poe used were universal and timeless. As long as the English language exists at all, we will be able to appreciate what he did. It will not age! It will not become dated!

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

Sometimes it was tough doing take after take upside down! I did a lot of that sort of thing.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

I figure I basically am a ghost. I think we all are.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

Sometimes when I see a performance that really takes me, I struggle. How can I express this to this person, I want this person to know how I felt. I want to get this across, and it’s not very easy.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

I love to play for audiences that are simply made of people rather than so-called special people.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

I get into certain yoga positions at times, when I’m working out and for exercises. I use a little of it in some of my meditation, but I chant now and that sort of replaced it.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

We are running ourselves into a damaged earth. But I am optimistic. I believe that we can change; we must change. As a human race, we are very young and quite primitive. The sooner we learn the greatness of humanity the better off we will all be.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

At a certain point he was very popular, from THE RAVEN. He was never fully appreciated, never made the money, and you know he was looked upon with admiration by some people, but also as an oddball. But that was his point.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

I got things like the lotus position long before anybody else did, or at least in the mainstream. But I had fun. I guess my legs are pretty flexible, so I used to get a kick out of doing things like that. I would get into a full lotus with my legs and then roll around.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

People are smarter than you might think.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

I think Poe had a mission to tell us what it’s all about. To answer some of the great questions of life.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

One life is worth the universe. Poe was able to go right into the very depth of life and to demonstrate this.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

The feedback that I get from my association with Gomez is heartwarming. It is very difficult for me to take anything but a positive view of the Gomez phenomenon.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

One of the great things about being recognized is that you receive this feedback from people. It is easy to see how sincere people are. It’s nothing fake or jive. They’re giving sincere appreciation. And it’s not that easy to express.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

My background is basically scientific math. My Dad was a physicist, so I have it in my blood somewhere. Scientific method is very important to me. I think anything that contradicts it is probably not true.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

It is important to me that what Poe has to say gets across to people. I want to give people the feeling that I get from all this. I think that we are succeeding. The feedback is very warm.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

I guess one of the reasons I’m doing the Poe piece is that I think Poe demonstrates that no matter how difficult things are, if you continue to move forward in life, you can eventually become victorious, even if it’s later in life.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

There was one where Gomez was on a Trapeze hanging by the legs upside down. I remember how much the backs of my knees would hurt until I got used to it. It was hard.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

There are things so deep and complex that only intuition can reach it in our stage of development as human beings. And to Poe… well, a great logician could be an enemy to him, what he called conventional world reason.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

People are transported to that space that Poe wanted to make available to us.

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)

United Artists wanted to do records with me. I had no idea, what a rare thing that was… to make an album. And they put a guy with me working on songs, and I got busy with films. I just kind of let it slide. Isn’t that amazing?

John Astin

American actor (born 1930)