10 Seth Rogen Quotes to Live By
If ever there was ever an artist worthy of being placed in the Stoner Hall of Fame alongside such greats as Snoop Dogg and Whiz Khalifa, it would have to be comedic actor Seth Rogen. He does everything from the act, write and produce a lot of films and television, yet always finds a way to pay tribute to the magical herb. He’s been behind such classics as ‘Superbad’ and ‘Pineapple Express’, two movies that belong in every stoner’s collection, and many more.
Back in April of this year, Rogen did an interview with the New York Times called “Seth Rogen and the Secret to Happiness” which become the inspiration behind the article you are currently reading. In the interview, you get the sense that Rogen truly loves what he does and has worked like hell to get to where he is. And even after all the success, he has garnered, he still refuses to let go of the hippy, stoner ethos of his roots.
His dedication and love for his craft are truly inspiring, and I highly recommend fans of his or anyone on a stoner journey of self-improvement and exploration to give the NYT interview a read. This collection is a compilation of other quotes by Seth Rogen that I found in my research that also can help inspire the creative muse in all of us.
So it’s finally time to take out that cross joint you’ve always wanted to smoke, kick back and puff while we take a journey into the mind with the one and only Seth Rogen.
Seth Rogen Quotes on Marriage
“For me and my wife…the easiest part of my life is my marriage. Like if everything was as smooth and easy and fun as my relationship with my wife then I would have a much easier time getting through the day. We really get along and we like the same stuff.”
Have you ever met a couple who seemed to get off on hating each other? Hell, maybe you are in that relationship. It’s always bothered me how two people that seemingly hate each other would commit to something like a marriage. I get it – relationships are complicated, but they don’t always have to be.
When I read this quote, it reminded me a lot of what I have with my wife. While arguing can’t ever be avoided, it does pain us to have to do it. Nor do we relish in the feeling of being mad at each other or having heavy disagreements. To me, being in a painful relationship with someone seems like such a death sentence and a lot of WORK. So much of how you treat your relationship will come down to you and your significant others’ perspective – if you see it as painful and demanding, you’ll be apprehensive to do what you need to make it better. But if you see it as Rogen does -“smooth and fun” – you can get so much more out of it.
“Marriage can be expensive, and if I lose millions then it’ll be the best millions I’ve spent.”
This quote struck me because I can honestly say I’ve never heard someone present this perspective. Most men fear divorce (especially when you have a lot to lose) and while I would argue that fear to be legitimate, this quote from Rogen shows how a simple shift in perspective can help you find the silver lining in anything.
In reference to love and marriage though, you are ALWAYS at risk of losing something, which makes heartbreak hurt so much. But whether it is the time you pour into it, the energy you use to make it work, or the money you invest in building it up, if you ever question whether or not it all is worth it if you lost everything tomorrow, you might want to reevaluate where you are.
“Claiming that someone’s marriage is against your religion is like being angry at someone for eating a donut because you’re on a diet.”
I feel like this quote is pretty damn self-explanatory… and hilarious. Love is love, whether or not it aligns with your beliefs on what love SHOULD be or not. So…. get over it already.
Seth Rogen Quotes on Work
“As soon as I realized you could be funny as a job, that was the job I wanted.”
I’m always envious of people that realize from a young age or early on in life what their passion is. For example, there are many athletes that found their love for their sport at a young age and have been “training” ever since to be the best at it. Can you imagine figuring out at age 5 what your life calling is? It’s so important for everyone to find their calling and spend time perfecting their craft. Even if you don’t achieve some wild level of fame or success, the feeling of fulfillment alone from pursuing a passion project can change your life significantly and help cultivate a more positive perspective on who you are and where you’re going.
“I know most people don’t like their jobs very much and don’t get a lot of personal satisfaction from their jobs. That’s something that I really do get a lot of.”
People have a tendency to equate work with having to be something you do that you don’t particularly like, which is such a backward way of thinking, especially in today’s day and age. Sure, back when our parents and their parents were kids, it was a lot more difficult for people to chase dream careers. But in today’s world, it has become increasingly easy, and why the hell wouldn’t you chase your dream job during a time where it’s more possible than ever before for you to achieve it? The fact is that, despite what your parents say, it is possible for you to get a job that you love and gain satisfaction from; it really comes down to whether you’re willing to work for it.
Seth Rogen Quotes on Comedy and Creativity
“I feel much more comfortable as a writer than an actor. I feel like I am a much better writer than I am an actor.”
I find this quote so important because it is always good to build confidence in your strengths while being able to recognize that you might have weaknesses. Clearly, this has not stopped Rogan from acting and starring in a lot of projects that he has written, but I assume he’s probably a lot more open and attentive to constructive criticism from others when it comes to his acting.
But even in regards to, say, his writing which he feels comfortable with, I’m sure he has some aspects that could use for some improvement. This is really about the ability to self-reflect and recognize your flaws so you can actively work to improve them. No one is perfect, and your skills and talents should be something you are always improving and evolving with. But if you lack the ability to honestly reflect on yourself and your work, you’ll probably end up staying in the same place forever.
“I’m proud to say that I’ve never had a normal job. I started doing stand-up when I was in high school, purely as a measure to never get a proper job.”
I absolutely love this quote and a few others I’ve read by Rogen that embody this sort of slacker-ethos that tends to get frowned upon, especially here in the states. As stated before, many of us equate work with being something you don’t want to do, and that’s simply not true. But if you get told this enough, you honestly start to believe it, which in turn can cultivate a sort of anti-work or slacker mentality in some people, including myself. While society has told me time and time again that I am lazy if I don’t pull myself up by my bootstraps and find a soul-crushing 9 to 5 that makes ends meet, people like Rogen demonstrate that there can be more to life than simply working to live.
“I was in high school when Will Ferrell was first on ‘Saturday Night Live’, and I remember thinking, ‘Man, that guy is the funniest guy ever.”
I love this quote because it gives Rogen that down-to-earth appeal that everyone loves about him. Anyone can relate to idolizing successful people, especially if they are someone within your personal field of interest. And there is beauty in this quote because, like everyone, he at one point was simply a spectator, idolizing a comedic giant like Will Ferrell, probably completely unaware that one day a generation of kids would be watching his movies with the same thoughts about him. Stories like these, where things come full circle, can be so inspiring (and a bit trippy).
Seth Rogen Quotes on Weed
“When I first came to L.A. I got caught smoking weed on a beach in Malibu and had to go to court. It was the craziest thing ever. I was thinking, We’re in Los Angeles. There are probably 400 people getting murdered at this second, and these two cops are taking an hour to write up my court summons for smoking a joint on the beach. That just seemed so f***ing ridiculous to me.”
I’m not a huge fan of the “a bunch of other more serious things are happening while you arrest me for this” argument because anyone could say that about anything, BUT if ever a subject deserved that argument in its corner, it would have to be marijuana legalization (personally, I’d even take it a step farther and apply it to drug use of any kind, but that’s a conversation for another time).
As someone who has been arrested and ticketed multiple times for marijuana-related instances, the whole thing never fails to feel absolutely fucking ridiculous. I remember the one time I was actually put in jail for smoking in public and possession – the other guys in the cell do that thing where they all sit around and ask each other “what are you in for?”. I remember at least two of the guys were in for assault or something violent. A particularly neurotic guy that seemed adamant to make friends with me (because I was literally a kid at the time and dumb enough to listen to his sob story) told me all about how he got stopped in a stolen escalade with a pound of coke.
I’ll never forget how truly ridiculous it felt, and even the next morning when we all had to appear in court, the judge even scoffed at my case but still felt compelled to give me a shit load of community service. All in all – drug policies in America can fuck off. But even as things get better in regards to legalization, we as stoners can’t forget where we came from and just how bad it used to be.
“I would say, I’ve never gone to a movie and thought, ‘man, I wish I was less stoned right now.’ I’ve never thought, I’ve only wished I was more stoned. Ever, right now!”
And finally, our final quote will simply send us off with a taste of just how much Rogen loves weed. I’ve always found his shameless love for the herb to be so admirable, especially living in times where it’s still seen as the lazy man’s gateway drug to hell by so many. Using his platform to vocalize this love in artistic ways, in my opinion, is extremely important. Just like minority communities are seeing how important representation in media is on a social level, I believe famous stoners like Rogen are trying to achieve the same thing. The more “normalized” marijuana use in media and pop culture becomes, it may help it become less taboo on a social level.
In conclusion, if you take anything from these quotes it should be these few things – truly learn to love yourself and others, follow your passions even against all odds, alter your perspective and practice self-reflection, and, finally, puff that loud without shame like there’s no tomorrow.