William Shatner Quotes

Powerful William Shatner for Daily Growth

About William Shatner

Title: **William Shatner: Star Trek's Captained Chronicles** William Shatner, a Canadian icon born on March 22, 1931, in Montreal, Quebec, is renowned for his acting prowess and captivating career spanning over six decades. His name resonates with generations of fans due to his landmark role as Captain James T. Kirk in the legendary science fiction series 'Star Trek.' Born as William Anton Shatner, he displayed an early interest in performing arts, taking up music and theater. After serving in the Canadian Army Education Corps, he moved to New York City to pursue acting in 1951. His breakthrough came with the lead role in 'The World of Suzie Wong' (1960), but it was his ensuing portrayal of Captain Kirk that catapulted him to international stardom, beginning with the original Star Trek series (1966-1969) and extending through multiple movies and spin-offs. In addition to Star Trek, Shatner's diverse career encompasses television, film, music, literature, and horse racing. Notable works include 'T.J. Hooker' (TV series), where he starred alongside Heather Locklear; numerous voiceover roles in animation; and his critically acclaimed one-man show, 'Shatner's World.' A passionate author, Shatner has penned over 30 books, including the popular 'TekMemoirs,' a series of autobiographical accounts detailing his life on and off screen. His works reflect an introspective perspective, blending humor with insightful musings on career, fame, and personal growth. Shatner's influence transcends entertainment; he is a philanthropist, humanitarian, and horse enthusiast. His unique contributions to the arts, entertainment, and charitable endeavors make him a celebrated figure, forever linked with the spirit of exploration, camaraderie, and daring 'to boldly go.'

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Real life is a series of instantaneous snapshots."

William Shatner's quote suggests that our lives are made up of fleeting moments, or "instantaneous snapshots," rather than a continuous, linear narrative. This implies that the true essence of our existence lies in these individual, unique instances, rather than the story we construct from them. The transient nature of these moments emphasizes the importance of appreciating and cherishing each one as they pass by.


"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

This quote suggests that sometimes, the most dangerous or insidious threats are those we fail to recognize or acknowledge due to their subtlety or perceived invisibility. In a broader context, it could mean that some harmful beliefs, ideologies, or systemic issues can persist if people refuse to admit they exist, allowing them to continue causing harm unchecked. It's a call for awareness, vigilance, and critical thinking in our evaluation of the world around us.


"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you find, you get what you need."

The quote by William Shatner emphasizes that while life may not always grant us our desired outcomes (what we want), it presents us with opportunities to discover what we truly need. It encourages the pursuit of goals (want) because through that process, we might unexpectedly find what is essential for our personal growth or fulfillment (need). In essence, this quote suggests a mindset of resilience, adaptability, and openness to the surprises life may bring us.


"Ideas are the most dangerous things in the world; it's easy to act on them."

William Shatner's quote emphasizes that ideas, although intangible, can be exceptionally powerful and potentially destructive or beneficial. The danger lies not only in their implementation but also in their mere existence, as they can lead individuals to take action based on their thoughts. This quote serves as a reminder of the influence that ideas have over human behavior, encouraging thoughtfulness and careful consideration before acting on them.


"We have a choice: we can learn to love or hate, and our teacher will be our partner, our friend, our family, or ourselves."

This quote emphasizes that every relationship serves as an opportunity for personal growth. We have the power to either choose love or hatred towards those around us – partners, friends, family, or even ourselves. The people in our lives are instrumental in helping us learn and develop our capacity for love, which is a fundamental aspect of human connection and emotional well-being.


If we can clean up our world, I'll bet you we can achieve warp drive.

- William Shatner

Clean, Achieve, Clean Up, Our World

I'm surfing the giant life wave.

- William Shatner

Life, Wave, Giant, Surfing

The name Shatner is Austrian and partly Germanic, and there's Germanic reticence and silence perhaps, but there is passion underneath.

- William Shatner

Perhaps, Shatner, Reticence, Germanic

Montreal is a very cosmopolitan, sophisticated, erudite, educated, glorious city today. But it wasn't quite that way when I was growing up there. There was a lot of anti-Semitism. And I had to deal with that in an area of the city that had very few Jews.

- William Shatner

Sophisticated, Very, Area, Anti-Semitism

A series is filled with compromises.

- William Shatner

Series, Filled, Compromises

I've been in that angst of loneliness, where you're really alone in the universe, except for the dog.

- William Shatner

Alone, Universe, Been, Angst

I don't read reviews.

- William Shatner

Read, Reviews

All in all, Kirk's character is something I am very proud of.

- William Shatner

Character, Proud, Very, Kirk

Captain Kirk has been a source of pleasure and income for a long time.

- William Shatner

Long Time, Income, Been, Kirk

I'm not technically adept at music, but I'd love to be part of a discussion of where progressive rock ends and country music begins.

- William Shatner

Love, Country, Part, Adept

The possibilities that are suggested in quantum physics tell us that everything that we're looking at may not be in fact there, so the underlying nature of being is weird.

- William Shatner

Possibilities, Fact, May, Quantum

I see people putting text messages on the phone or computer and I think, 'Why don't you just call?'

- William Shatner

Think, I Think, Putting, Messages

My kids say if there's any family dinner that doesn't result in somebody crying, it's not a good dinner. They cry because it helps relieve them of a guilt or some onerous emotional burden. It's like a family tradition.

- William Shatner

Good, Burden, Some, Family Tradition

You have to create your life. You have to carve it, like a sculpture.

- William Shatner

Create, Like, Carve, Sculpture

I find age such a foreign concept. I have to be reminded. I still have the extraordinary feeling of adventure, striking out into unknown fields.

- William Shatner

Feeling, Concept, Still, Striking

Voice acting is very interesting, I've done several animated projects, and you have to make the voice reflect the character and try and do as much with a word as you can with a look in a live-action film.

- William Shatner

Voice, Very, Projects, Animated

I played comedies and dramas.

- William Shatner

Played, Comedies, Dramas

All I know is that I am constantly intrigued by something I'm doing.

- William Shatner

I Am, Doing, Know, Intrigued

I know very little about the viral, electronic world, but I use Twitter to communicate not only information that I think some of the fans want to hear about but also ideas.

- William Shatner

Think, Some, Very, Viral

I'm gonna reveal something to you that's going to come as a shock: If you're a stupid young man, you're usually a stupid old man. Most people, including myself, keep repeating the same mistakes.

- William Shatner

Stupid, Young, Reveal, Same Mistakes

Most people, including myself, keep repeating the same mistakes.

- William Shatner

Same, Most, Including, Same Mistakes

Spencer Tracy was a man who did very much what I do on a set, and that is, he comes down and he does his job, and then he goes back to his dressing room.

- William Shatner

Very, Set, Spencer Tracy, Dressing Room

I've never not appeared in front of a live audience for any longer period than a month or two.

- William Shatner

Audience, Period, Any, Live Audience

But if you want to know the truth, the weirdest thing that has happened has been my discovery that people who attend the conventions are filled with love.

- William Shatner

Love, Been, Attend, Conventions

I am not a Starfleet commander, or T.J. Hooker. I don't live on Starship NCC-1701, or own a phaser. And I don't know anybody named Bones, Sulu, or Spock.

- William Shatner

Own, Anybody, Named, Starship

I think the acting satisfies the need and desire for approval.

- William Shatner

Desire, Think, I Think, Satisfies

Well-written words are music.

- William Shatner

Music, Words, Well-Written

We live in grief for having left the womb, for having left the teat, then school, then home. In my case, it was leaving marriages, and the death of my wife.

- William Shatner

Death, Wife, Having, Womb

The mysteriousness and mystique of space is such, that science fiction attempts to tantalize you by telling you a story that could possibly be out there and that's the appeal of science fiction.

- William Shatner

Fiction, Telling, Mystique, Science Fiction

I think that prog rock is the science fiction of music. Science fiction speculates on what the future might be and look like and how we'll get there, and yet there's always a central theme of humanity, or there should be. Progressive rock has the same concept of exploration into the parts of the music world that hasn't been explored.

- William Shatner

Fiction, Been, I Think, Science Fiction

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