I am trying to find the courage to be tender in my life. I know violence is weakness. Only the gentle are ever really strong. — James Dean

You know you’re getting old when you go to more funerals than you do weddings. — Jimmy Dean

God is bigger than people think. — Jimmy Dean

I won’t go hunting with you, Jake, but I’ll go chasing women. — Jimmy Dean

I’m exactly where I want to be–we live out here on the James River outside Richmond. I have three ponds, and we catch the biggest, most beautiful bass you’ve ever looked at in your life. — Jimmy Dean

But you can’t show some far off idyllic conception of behavior if you want the kids to come and see the picture. You’ve got to show what it’s really like, and try to reach them on their own grounds. — James Dean

When I was a kid, I used to think, ‘Man, if I could ever afford all the ice cream I want to eat, that’s as rich as I ever want to be.’ — Jimmy Dean

My purpose in life does not include a hankering to charm society. — James Dean

Being a good actor isn’t easy. Being a man is even harder. I want to be both before I’m done. — James Dean

Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today. — James Dean

Being a Baptist won’t keep you from sinning, but it’ll sure as hell keep you from enjoying it. — Jimmy Dean

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. — Jimmy Dean

Be yourself. Because if people don’t like you as you are, they’re not going to like you as somebody you’re trying to be. — Jimmy Dean

You try to be yourself, do only what you’ve always done and like to do, and right away, you’re tagged as an oddball. — James Dean

Love is an ice cream sundae, with all the marvelous coverings. Sex is the cherry on top. — Jimmy Dean

The only greatness for man is immortality. — James Dean

To me, acting is the most logical way for people’s neuroses to manifest themselves, in this great need we all have to express ourselves. — James Dean

I’ve seen so many people in this business that made a fortune. They get old and broke and can’t make any money. I tell you something… no one’s going to play a benefit for Jimmy Dean. — Jimmy Dean

Do what you say you’re going to do. And try to do it a little better than you said you would. — Jimmy Dean

To my way of thinking, an actor’s course is set even before he’s out of the cradle. — James Dean

My favorite song? ‘Amazing Grace.’ Anybody singing it. But the best it’ll ever be done is by the Scottish National Pipe band and their National Orchestra. It’ll bring tears to your eyes. — Jimmy Dean

Racing is the only time I feel whole. — James Dean

Somebody said he came from New Orleans, where he got in a fight over a Cajun queen. And a crushing blow from a huge right hand, sent a Louisiana fella to the Promised Land. — Jimmy Dean

Sausage is a great deal like life. You get out of it about what you put into it. — Jimmy Dean

Death can’t be considered because, if you’re afraid to die, there’s no room in your life to make discoveries. — James Dean

The gratification comes in the doing, not in the results. — James Dean

There is no way to be truly great in this world. We are all impaled on the crook of conditioning. — James Dean

I don’t want anything seventy–thirty. Fifty–fifty’s always good enough for me. I don’t want to have to give anybody seventy; I don’t want anybody to give me seventy. I want fifty. — James Dean

Being a nice guy is detrimental to actors. When I first came to Hollywood, everyone was nice to me. Everyone thought I was a nice guy. — Jimmy Dean

An actor must interpret life, and in order to do so must be willing to accept all the experiences life has to offer. In fact, he must seek out more of life than life puts at his feet. — James Dean

I’m a serious–minded and intense little devil, terribly gauche and so tense I don’t see how people stay in the same room with me. I know I wouldn’t tolerate myself. — James Dean

Studying cows, pigs and chickens can help an actor develop his character. There are a lot of things I learned from animals. One was that they couldn’t hiss or boo me. — James Dean

Trust and belief are two prime considerations. You must not allow yourself to be opinionated. — James Dean

Only the gentle are ever really strong. — James Dean

I loved music since the Seth Ward Baptist Church outside of Plainview. — Jimmy Dean

I also became close to nature, and am now able to appreciate the beauty with which this world is endowed. — James Dean

I think the one thing this picture shows that’s new is the psychological disproportion of the kids’ demands on the parents. Parents are often at fault, but the kids have some work to do, too. — James Dean

The only way to make a scene realistic is to do it the way you know it would really happen. — James Dean

You gotta try your luck at least once a day, because you could be going around lucky all day and not even know it. — Jimmy Dean

Nobody, man or woman, has ever wrecked a good marriage. — Jimmy Dean

I better know how to take care of myself. — Jimmy Dean

I’ve seen a jillion miracles. They’re all around. Every green leaf is a miracle. — Jimmy Dean