--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I see myself as an explorer more than a…" description: "\"I see myself as an explorer more than a storyteller.\" — Joshua Oppenheimer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/joshua-oppenheimer-24024_explorers_i-see-myself-as-an-explorer-more-than-a_848309.jpg" --- # I see myself as an explorer more than a storyteller. ![“I see myself as an explorer more than a storyteller.” quote by Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/joshua-oppenheimer-24024_explorers_i-see-myself-as-an-explorer-more-than-a_848309.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/joshua-oppenheimer-24024_explorers_i-see-myself-as-an-explorer-more-than-a_848309.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/joshua-oppenheimer-24024_explorers_i-see-myself-as-an-explorer-more-than-a_848309.jpg) > “I see myself as an explorer more than a storyteller.” [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He identifies more with exploring unknowns than crafting stories, valuing discovery over narration. **In simple terms:** He sees himself as an explorer, not a storyteller. Key Takeaway Prioritize curiosity over fixed narratives. Themes exploration identity creativity self-perception journey Mood inspired reflective adventurous Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - travel - research - creative projects - personal development Key Concepts curiosity personal growth storytelling philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What new horizons will you pursue? - How can exploration enhance your storytelling? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on exploration may neglect the power of storytelling to convey insights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Explorer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explorer/) [Explorers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explorers/) [Storyteller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storyteller/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [From early childhood I had always dreamed of becoming an explorer. Somehow I had acquired the impression that an explorer was someone who lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goddard/from-early-childhood-i-had-always-dreamed-of-becoming-an-explorer/) [John Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goddard/) > [An artist is an explorer. He has to begin by self-discovery and by observation of his own procedure. After that he must not feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-matisse/an-artist-is-an-explorer-he-has-to-begin-by-self-discovery-and-by/) [Henri Matisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-matisse/) > [When I was a kid, Jacques Cousteau was my hero and the person who inspired me to become an underwater explorer. I have many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enric-sala/when-i-was-a-kid-jacques-cousteau-was-my-hero-and-the-person-who/) [Enric Sala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enric-sala/) > [It's an up and down thing, the human goals, because the human is always an explorer, an adventurist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/it-s-an-up-and-down-thing-the-human-goals-because-the-human-is-always/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [In the nature of the case, an explorer can never know what he is exploring until it has been explored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/in-the-nature-of-the-case-an-explorer-can-never-know-what-he-is/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [Very often, human beings are living like on autopilot, reacting automatically with what happens. What interests me about the life of an explorer is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-piccard/very-often-human-beings-are-living-like-on-autopilot-reacting/) [Bertrand Piccard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-piccard/) > [If you're not lost, you're not much of an explorer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/if-you-re-not-lost-you-re-not-much-of-an-explorer/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I'm not a stunt man. I'm not a dare devil...I'm an explorer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evel-knievel/i-m-not-a-stunt-man-i-m-not-a-dare-devil-i-m-an-explorer/) [Evel Knievel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evel-knievel/) > [ In my heart, ever since I \[was\] a little kid, I've been an explorer. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-corwin/in-my-heart-ever-since-i-was-a-little-kid-i-ve-been-an-explorer/) [Jeff Corwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-corwin/) > [I always wanted to be an explorer, but - it seemed I was doomed to be nothing more than a very silly person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palin/i-always-wanted-to-be-an-explorer-but-it-seemed-i-was-doomed-to-be/) [Michael Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palin/) > [I feel like I'm an explorer, a frontiersman if you will, and I've been able to satisfy that desire in me through music. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-butler/i-feel-like-i-m-an-explorer-a-frontiersman-if-you-will-and-i-ve-been/) [Ishmael Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-butler/) > [Everyone is an explorer. How could you possibly live your life looking at a door and not open it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ballard/everyone-is-an-explorer-how-could-you-possibly-live-your-life-looking/) [Robert Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ballard/) > [I would love to do a western. I would love to play an explorer. That is always something that has really captured my imagination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-reilly/i-would-love-to-do-a-western-i-would-love-to-play-an-explorer-that-is/) [John C. Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-reilly/) > [I am not a glutton - I am an explorer of food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/i-am-not-a-glutton-i-am-an-explorer-of-food/) [Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/) > [The greatest explorer of recent decades is not even human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-greatest-explorer-of-recent-decades-is-not-even-human/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) ## More by Joshua Oppenheimer > [There's a tradition of reenactment in documentary which is about sort of illustrating what the past might have been like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/there-s-a-tradition-of-reenactment-in-documentary-which-is-about-sort/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [I always have said, you know it's not for me to forgive or to condemn, I'm a filmmaker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/i-always-have-said-you-know-it-s-not-for-me-to-forgive-or-to-condemn/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [I think we create our world through stories. We use storytelling to escape or protect ourselves from the unimaginable and the horrible - from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/i-think-we-create-our-world-through-stories-we-use-storytelling-to/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [We can distance ourselves from the reality of what we did through storytelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/we-can-distance-ourselves-from-the-reality-of-what-we-did-through/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [In a fiction film, we know at some level we've suspended disbelief. In a documentary, we know that we're watching a drama unfold in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/in-a-fiction-film-we-know-at-some-level-we-ve-suspended-disbelief-in/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [I really believe that the past is beyond our grasp and what is essential about the past is something unspeakable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/i-really-believe-that-the-past-is-beyond-our-grasp-and-what-is/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [Films can't change the society, they can simply open the space for the discussion which can lead to social change and can start new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/films-can-t-change-the-society-they-can-simply-open-the-space-for-the/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [A podium is something you walk up to, you say what you want to say and when you're finished, you leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/a-podium-is-something-you-walk-up-to-you-say-what-you-want-to-say-and/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [Each and every perpetrator was boastful, usually they would invite me to the places where they killed and I would of course accept those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/each-and-every-perpetrator-was-boastful-usually-they-would-invite-me/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [After the Dutch left Indonesia, after the Indonesians got loose in 1945, the freemen were not as widely used, but then they went through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/after-the-dutch-left-indonesia-after-the-indonesians-got-loose-in/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [The whole tradition of cinema is dominated, really, by films about good guys versus bad guys, good versus evil. But we have very few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/the-whole-tradition-of-cinema-is-dominated-really-by-films-about-good/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [I need to trust myself and go where my instincts tell me, and to be as wild and free as possible in my creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/i-need-to-trust-myself-and-go-where-my-instincts-tell-me-and-to-be-as/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [Performance is always oriented towards a spectator, towards an imagined audience and I was thinking who is their imagined audience?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/performance-is-always-oriented-towards-a-spectator-towards-an/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [I've become more forgiving, even though I have no patience at all for denial, justification of wrong, rationalization. I've become virtually a pacifist, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/i-ve-become-more-forgiving-even-though-i-have-no-patience-at-all-for/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [People create the illusion of acting natural, which is what I think most documentarians do in part because of the direct cinema orthodoxies that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/people-create-the-illusion-of-acting-natural-which-is-what-i-think/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) [Explore all 25 Joshua Oppenheimer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) ## More Explorer quotes > [“he would have been the first to scoff at the notion of labeling himself anything other than an explorer. His words to me were,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-holley/he-would-have-been-the-first-to-scoff-at-the-notion-of-labeling/) [Val Holley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-holley/) > [“We only know a tiny proportion about the complexity of the natural world. Wherever you look, there are still things we don’t know about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-attenborough/we-only-know-a-tiny-proportion-about-the-complexity-of-the-natural/) [David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-attenborough/) > [From early childhood I had always dreamed of becoming an explorer. Somehow I had acquired the impression that an explorer was someone who lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goddard/from-early-childhood-i-had-always-dreamed-of-becoming-an-explorer/) [John Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goddard/) > [“Back at the guest house I tried to acclimatise. A travel-worn adventurer had once told me that leaning with one's head dangling over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahir-shah/back-at-the-guest-house-i-tried-to-acclimatise-a-travel-worn/) [Tahir Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahir-shah/) > [I am not a glutton - I am an explorer of food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/i-am-not-a-glutton-i-am-an-explorer-of-food/) [Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/) > [Consumers can choose from hundreds of channels today, including dozens for kids. At a time of dwindling resources, we don't need to be subsidizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/consumers-can-choose-from-hundreds-of-channels-today-including-dozens/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [I'm a thinker and feeler and dreamer and explorer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-stoner/i-m-a-thinker-and-feeler-and-dreamer-and-explorer/) [Alyson Stoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-stoner/) > [“Books for me were what the ocean is to the fearless explorer-deep and mysterious, boundless and soothing. I loved the smell of books, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pemberton/books-for-me-were-what-the-ocean-is-to-the-fearless-explorer-deep-and/) [Steve Pemberton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pemberton/) > [“I’d loved women who were old and who were young; those extra kilos and large rumps, and others so thin there was barely even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/i-d-loved-women-who-were-old-and-who-were-young-those-extra-kilos-and/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“Scent is such a powerful tool of attraction, that if a woman has this tool perfectly tuned, she needs no other. I will forgive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/scent-is-such-a-powerful-tool-of-attraction-that-if-a-woman-has-this/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“A famous explorer once said, that the extraordinary is in what we do, not who we are. I’d finally set out to make my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-croft/a-famous-explorer-once-said-that-the-extraordinary-is-in-what-we-do/) Lara Croft > [I would love to do a western. I would love to play an explorer. That is always something that has really captured my imagination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-reilly/i-would-love-to-do-a-western-i-would-love-to-play-an-explorer-that-is/) [John C. Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-reilly/) > [Everyone is an explorer. How could you possibly live your life looking at a door and not open it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ballard/everyone-is-an-explorer-how-could-you-possibly-live-your-life-looking/) [Robert Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ballard/) > [I feel like I'm an explorer, a frontiersman if you will, and I've been able to satisfy that desire in me through music. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-butler/i-feel-like-i-m-an-explorer-a-frontiersman-if-you-will-and-i-ve-been/) [Ishmael Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-butler/) > [When I was a kid, I wanted to be an explorer. I wanted to go out into deep, dark jungle somewhere and find places…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rege-jean-page/when-i-was-a-kid-i-wanted-to-be-an-explorer-i-wanted-to-go-out-into/) [Rege-Jean Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rege-jean-page/) [Browse all 104 Explorer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explorer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I see myself as an explorer more than a storyteller.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joshua Oppenheimer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/i-see-myself-as-an-explorer-more-than-a-storyteller/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Explorer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/i-see-myself-as-an-explorer-more-than-a-storyteller/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/joshua-oppenheimer-24024_explorers_i-see-myself-as-an-explorer-more-than-a_848309.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/joshua-oppenheimer-24024_explorers_i-see-myself-as-an-explorer-more-than-a_848309.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/joshua-oppenheimer-24024_explorers_i-see-myself-as-an-explorer-more-than-a_848309.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I see myself as an explorer more than a storyteller.” — Joshua Oppenheimer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joshua Oppenheimer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I see myself as an explorer...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/i-see-myself-as-an-explorer-more-than-a-storyteller/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/i-see-myself-as-an-explorer-more-than-a-storyteller/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```