Willem Dafoe Quotes

As far as humor goes, I've always been a very insecure person and I've always wanted to be liked.

I have always admired people who are comfortable not being liked because I am the opposite of that. To the point when I was little, it was crippling.

I don't want the world to dislike me in any way.

I wish I were the type who could walk into a place and have everybody love me. But I'm not, and there's no use wishing.

I was always rather outspoken. I worried about what people thought of me but there really wasn't room for a lot of self-doubt.

Even when I was at school, I wanted to be liked by everyone, even the bullies. I didn't like them, but I needed to know that they liked me.

I'm less genial than people think, but I'm too timid to seem nasty.

Half of my anxiety is about whether people are going to like me.

I'm very shy. I wish more people believed me when I say that.

You don't realize you're vying for the approval of everyone so much until being yourself is not approved of.

I'm not good at opening up with people.

I'm definitely not above wanting to be liked. Because, I mean, that feels less... lonely? But to be honest, because it was never my dream, I live quite a pressure-less existence, y'know. And of course, that's not true, but it's partly true.

I don't like to show my weaknesses.

There is a part of me that is desperately wanting to not necessarily be this cute, endearing, heart-on-his-sleeve type of character that just wants to be liked.

I don't mind not being cool.

And I think that, of course, there is some dysfunction of needing to be liked or noticed or to feel part of things, something going on there for most actors. For some there's not and I think they really struggle with it.

If I were ever to grace the pages of 'Vogue,' I would want my image retouched because the audience is so vast. There is great vulnerability in being exposed to that many judging eyes. I feel no small amount of guilt over this willingness to surrender my ideals.

I just want everyone to like me. That's my main flaw.

I have lived so long among people who do not understand me, been so long accustomed to refrain and disguise myself for fear of being laughed at, that I have grown as difficult to come at as a snail in a shell; and what is worse, I cannot come out of my shell when I wish it.

Everyone is insecure. I think, really, it comes from, like, a desire to want to be in control of how you're represented.

I'm insecure about things. I'm not afraid to say it, though. Even when my publicist is like, 'Go on the red carpet,' I don't wanna go.

I think that all of us are 5-year-olds and we don't want to be embarrassed in the schoolyard.

If you see a person who's insecure and covers it up, it can be quite a problem. But the person who is insecure and shows you is quite appealing. They give you just the courage to drop your defenses.

No-one really feels self-confident deep down because it's an artificial idea. Really, people aren't that worried about what you're doing or what you're saying, so you can drift around the world relatively anonymously: you must not feel persecuted and examined. Liberate yourself from that idea that people are watching you.

I don't think even when you find a person, you can be completely honest, ever. There's still pieces of you that you don't give away. I do believe you always need that place where it's just you, your thoughts, no one else's judgment or anything.