--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most of us float with the river and there…" description: "\"Most of us float with the river and there are a few people who move the river. Robert DeNiro is definitely one of them.\" — Ethan Hawke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/ethan-hawke-1828_moving_most-of-us-float-with-the-river-and-ther_116052.png" --- # Most of us float with the river and there are a few people… ![“Most of us float with the river and there are a few people who move the river. Robert DeNiro is definitely one of them.” quote by Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/ethan-hawke-1828_moving_most-of-us-float-with-the-river-and-ther_116052.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/ethan-hawke-1828_moving_most-of-us-float-with-the-river-and-ther_116052.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/ethan-hawke-1828_moving_most-of-us-float-with-the-river-and-ther_116052.png) > “Most of us float with the river and there are a few people who move the river. Robert DeNiro is definitely one of them.” [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote contrasts passive conformity with proactive influence, using DeNiro as an example of someone who reshapes the environment rather than merely drifting with it. **In simple terms:** Some people change the world; others just go along. Key Takeaway Active agency reshapes reality. Themes influence agency leadership culture Mood motivational assertive Type inspirational leadership When to use this quote - activist organizing community change - entrepreneur disrupting an industry - artist pioneering a new style Key Concepts social impact theory Practical Applications - Identify where you can exert influence to shift prevailing currents Questions to Reflect On - What river are you currently drifting in? - How might you become a catalyst for change? A Different Perspective Not everyone can or should aim to 'move the river'; collaboration also matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [River](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/river/) ## Related quotes > [The Mississippi is not the only river. There's the Tallahatchie and the Big Black. People have been put in the river year after year,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/the-mississippi-is-not-the-only-river-there-s-the-tallahatchie-and/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [I got to work with Robert DeNiro once and it was a strange experience. Gwyneth Paltrow and I were doing Great Expectations movie together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/i-got-to-work-with-robert-deniro-once-and-it-was-a-strange-experience/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [I remember staying up all night waiting to see the first screening of Cape Fear because you knew that every time Robert DeNiro had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/i-remember-staying-up-all-night-waiting-to-see-the-first-screening-of/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [Our calling is not only to pull people out of the river, but to go upstream to find out what or who is pushing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-wallis/our-calling-is-not-only-to-pull-people-out-of-the-river-but-to-go/) [Jim Wallis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-wallis/) > [I've got a lot of affection for the people at River and I think it's mutual. 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Sometimes the bodies dont…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pinette/gotta-love-whitewater-rafting-ten-of-us-are-going-eight-will-come/) [John Pinette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pinette/) > [“Even a dead fish can float down a river … To truly live, we must have a direction toward which we swim.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rvm/even-a-dead-fish-can-float-down-a-river-to-truly-live-we-must-have-a/) RVM > [“Sometimes I float along the river For its surface I am bound And there are times stones done fill my pockets And it's into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-klune/sometimes-i-float-along-the-river-for-its-surface-i-am-bound-and/) [T.J. Klune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-klune/) > [When I was a kid I really loved Humphrey Bogart. 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Certainly the history of art, whether you look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/if-you-study-the-history-of-mankind-it-seems-to-be-a-history-of/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [Time is what creates trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/time-is-what-creates-trust/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [To be married to another famous person was a huge pressure, one I didn't enjoy. And it had nothing to do with her. She's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/to-be-married-to-another-famous-person-was-a-huge-pressure-one-i-didn/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [Friends can hurt you, but the possibility of pain with lovers is so much greater because your expectations are so high. 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My first car was when my parents had completely worn out their Toyota Corolla that they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/my-first-car-was-kind-of-sad-my-first-car-was-when-my-parents-had/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [ The script \[of Regression\] wasn't the draw for me. It was largely Alejandro \[Amenabar\] and his way of talking. To hear him talking about… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/the-script-of-regression-wasn-t-the-draw-for-me-it-was-largely/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [What I learned about acting, from my experiences directing, is why so many producers and directors don't like actors. 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