---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was very affected as a foreigner coming…"
description: "\"I was very affected as a foreigner coming from Copenhagen, which is the safest, most liberal town in the entire galaxy. I was like an alien stranded in..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/nicolas-winding-refn-1480_alien_i-was-very-affected-as-a-foreigner-comin_1346358.jpg"
---

#  I was very affected as a foreigner coming from Copenhagen…

![“I was very affected as a foreigner coming from Copenhagen, which is the safest, most liberal town in the entire galaxy. I was like an alien stranded in a strange land for the first time in the U.S.” quote by Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/nicolas-winding-refn-1480_alien_i-was-very-affected-as-a-foreigner-comin_1346358.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/nicolas-winding-refn-1480_alien_i-was-very-affected-as-a-foreigner-comin_1346358.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/nicolas-winding-refn-1480_alien_i-was-very-affected-as-a-foreigner-comin_1346358.jpg)

> “I was very affected as a foreigner coming from Copenhagen, which is the safest, most liberal town in the entire galaxy. I was like an alien stranded in a strange land for the first time in the U.S.”

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He felt alienated in a new country, highlighting cultural shock despite coming from a safe, liberal hometown.

**In simple terms:** Moving to a new place can feel alien despite a safe background.

Key Takeaway

Embrace cultural differences.

Themes

culture shock alienation adaptation

Mood

introspective empathetic

Type

personal reflective

When to use this quote

- immigration
- first days abroad
- urban life
- social integration

Key Concepts

identity environmental contrast

Questions to Reflect On

- What aspects of your background help you adapt?
- How do you cope with feeling like an outsider?

A Different Perspective

Safety at home doesn't guarantee ease abroad.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Alien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alien/) [Copenhagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copenhagen/) [Galaxy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/galaxy/) [Liberal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberal/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [Although I grew up in London, I spent summers in Missouri, where my dad lived. It's quite a liberal town, Kansas City. You'd be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayley-atwell/although-i-grew-up-in-london-i-spent-summers-in-missouri-where-my-dad/)

[Hayley Atwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayley-atwell/)

> [I've fought in Copenhagen before, and it's not the most hostile place in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-calzaghe/i-ve-fought-in-copenhagen-before-and-it-s-not-the-most-hostile-place/)

[Joe Calzaghe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-calzaghe/)

> [I'm really looking forward to playing in Copenhagen again. Last time I stayed as long as I could, took pictures, signed autographs, and hung…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-duke/i-m-really-looking-forward-to-playing-in-copenhagen-again-last-time-i/)

[George Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-duke/)

> [In America, there might be better gastronomic destinations than New Orleans, but there is no place more uniquely wonderful. ... With the best restaurants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/in-america-there-might-be-better-gastronomic-destinations-than-new/)

[Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/)

> [Funding from rich countries to help the poor and vulnerable adapt to climate change is not even one percent of what is needed. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-stocking/funding-from-rich-countries-to-help-the-poor-and-vulnerable-adapt-to/)

Barbara Stocking

> [It might be fun to play for Copenhagen, because it was there that it all began.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicklas-bendtner/it-might-be-fun-to-play-for-copenhagen-because-it-was-there-that-it/)

[Nicklas Bendtner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicklas-bendtner/)

> [So the old Copenhagen interpretation needs to be generalized, needs to be replaced by something that can be used for the whole universe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-gell-mann/so-the-old-copenhagen-interpretation-needs-to-be-generalized-needs-to/)

[Murray Gell-Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-gell-mann/)

> [A colleague who met me strolling rather aimlessly in the beautiful streets of Copenhagen said to me in a friendly manner, "You look very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/a-colleague-who-met-me-strolling-rather-aimlessly-in-the-beautiful/)

[Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/)

> [Copenhagen is my local club where I live in Denmark and is the club I've been to watch more than anybody else. But that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasper-schmeichel/copenhagen-is-my-local-club-where-i-live-in-denmark-and-is-the-club-i/)

[Kasper Schmeichel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasper-schmeichel/)

> [I like Copenhagen, just because my shows there have been really good for some reason. Not that I love the city itself, but every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elverum/i-like-copenhagen-just-because-my-shows-there-have-been-really-good/)

[Phil Elverum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elverum/)

> [After the ignominious collapse of the Copenhagen global climate change summit in 2009, Bolivia organised a People's Summit with 35,000 participants from 140 countries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/after-the-ignominious-collapse-of-the-copenhagen-global-climate/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [She was standing in the airport of Copenhagen, staring at a doorway, trying to figure out if it was (a) a bathroom and (b)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/she-was-standing-in-the-airport-of-copenhagen-staring-at-a-doorway/)

[Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/)

> [We're competing against other great cities: Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo. That's why it's important that we all join together on the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-daley/we-re-competing-against-other-great-cities-madrid-rio-de-janeiro-and/)

[Richard M. Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-daley/)

> [“They basked in the sweet-scented breeze, and felt the sunshine warming their bare heads. Petals drifted from the gnarled apple and cherry trees, creating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wiggs/they-basked-in-the-sweet-scented-breeze-and-felt-the-sunshine-warming/)

[Susan Wiggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wiggs/)

> [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

## More by Nicolas Winding Refn

> [L.A. is, on one hand, very mysterious; it's very modern. It's a mysterious place - it's a haunting place - and everything in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/l-a-is-on-one-hand-very-mysterious-it-s-very-modern-it-s-a-mysterious/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [The digital revolution is forever. They put importance on that option as well. With Amazon, you're getting the best of both worlds, with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/the-digital-revolution-is-forever-they-put-importance-on-that-option/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [I think the Internet is the greatest invention since women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-think-the-internet-is-the-greatest-invention-since-women/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [I've always felt that I was from the future because the future is really not about what you make but what you stand for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-ve-always-felt-that-i-was-from-the-future-because-the-future-is/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [Art thrives on obstacles. The bigger the obstacle, the better the drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/art-thrives-on-obstacles-the-bigger-the-obstacle-the-better-the-drama/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [ Elle Fanning was fifteen when we started \[The Neon Demon\]. She turned seventeen during the shoot. Four weeks before Cannes, she turned eighteen. She… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/elle-fanning-was-fifteen-when-we-started-the-neon-demon-she-turned/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [The casting of any film is around 60% of the film, but it's also about the right casting insight. It's a bit like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/the-casting-of-any-film-is-around-60-of-the-film-but-it-s-also-about/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [How can creativity be bad? You can have, "I liked it" or "I didn't like it," but, in the end, it's an individual experience.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/how-can-creativity-be-bad-you-can-have-i-liked-it-or-i-didn-t-like-it/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [I always approach every film I make as if it was going to be the last. So if I'm going to go out, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-always-approach-every-film-i-make-as-if-it-was-going-to-be-the-last/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [I can't make a film that I don't feel comfortable with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-can-t-make-a-film-that-i-don-t-feel-comfortable-with/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [I'm a huge admirer of Keanu. I think he's absolutely extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-m-a-huge-admirer-of-keanu-i-think-he-s-absolutely-extraordinary/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [Sometimes I just play the theme from Arthur. It reminds me of my childhood in New York and I just love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/sometimes-i-just-play-the-theme-from-arthur-it-reminds-me-of-my/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [The greatest artists were in a situation where they had to pay their bills. That's a very convenient way to get very creative very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/the-greatest-artists-were-in-a-situation-where-they-had-to-pay-their/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [I sometimes play different kinds of music to see where the performers end up. I play one genre. Then something else when I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-sometimes-play-different-kinds-of-music-to-see-where-the-performers/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [The greater the darkness, the better the drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/the-greater-the-darkness-the-better-the-drama/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

[Explore all 237 Nicolas Winding Refn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

## More Alien quotes

> [If you're going to immerse yourself in a project for three years, why not stake out a chunk of the world that is completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-powers/if-you-re-going-to-immerse-yourself-in-a-project-for-three-years-why/)

[Richard Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-powers/)

> [“If you are an alien, how come you sound like you're from the north?' 'Lots of planets have a north!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-t-davies/if-you-are-an-alien-how-come-you-sound-like-you-re-from-the-north/)

[Russell T Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-t-davies/)

> [Some pundits have proposed that the aliens have come here to breed with us. Apparently, too much bike riding or something similar has rendered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/some-pundits-have-proposed-that-the-aliens-have-come-here-to-breed/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [North Korea is still my homeland, my country. I suffered on the outside because I was alien, without identity. I was nobody. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-korea-is-still-my-homeland-my-country-i-suffered-on-the-outside/)

[Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/)

> [I don't want to be the embarrassment of the galaxy to have had the power to deflect an asteroid, and then not and end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-want-to-be-the-embarrassment-of-the-galaxy-to-have-had-the/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [Whatever is not commonly seen is condemned as alien.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-chang/whatever-is-not-commonly-seen-is-condemned-as-alien/)

[Iris Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-chang/)

> [Alien's a great one. That's a scary movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/alien-s-a-great-one-that-s-a-scary-movie/)

[Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/)

> [As far as I can tell, the only unambiguous consequence of the claimed invasion of Earth by beings from another star system has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/as-far-as-i-can-tell-the-only-unambiguous-consequence-of-the-claimed/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [Rick stared at him. "Your brother is an alien." "Yeah, but he's a cute one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/rick-stared-at-him-your-brother-is-an-alien-yeah-but-he-s-a-cute-one/)

[Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/)

> [You tell me you love me, but Im not sure you know what love is, or how fast it flies, or how much it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/you-tell-me-you-love-me-but-im-not-sure-you-know-what-love-is-or-how/)

[Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/)

> [Give consideration to the fact that alien astronomers could have scrutinized Earth for more than 4 billion years without detecting any radio signals, despite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/give-consideration-to-the-fact-that-alien-astronomers-could-have/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [“When I was a kid, I used to watch that show, sitting on the couch in my pajamas and wishing more than anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-thomas-ford/when-i-was-a-kid-i-used-to-watch-that-show-sitting-on-the-couch-in-my/)

[Michael Thomas Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-thomas-ford/)

> [We of alien looks or words must stick together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/we-of-alien-looks-or-words-must-stick-together/)

[C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/)

> [One of the most interesting things for me in playing another species is that you want to make them different enough to be alien…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-murray/one-of-the-most-interesting-things-for-me-in-playing-another-species/)

[Jaime Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-murray/)

> [In a movie, it's often important to have aliens whose gestures and facial expressions can be 'read' by humans. And in the days before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/in-a-movie-it-s-often-important-to-have-aliens-whose-gestures-and/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Browse all 709 Alien quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alien/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I was very affected as a foreigner coming from Copenhagen, which is the safest, most liberal town in the entire galaxy. I was like an alien stranded in a strange land for the first time in the U.S.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nicolas Winding Refn"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-was-very-affected-as-a-foreigner-coming-from-copenhagen-which-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Alien"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-was-very-affected-as-a-foreigner-coming-from-copenhagen-which-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/nicolas-winding-refn-1480_alien_i-was-very-affected-as-a-foreigner-comin_1346358.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/nicolas-winding-refn-1480_alien_i-was-very-affected-as-a-foreigner-comin_1346358.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/nicolas-winding-refn-1480_alien_i-was-very-affected-as-a-foreigner-comin_1346358.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I was very affected as a foreigner coming from Copenhagen, which is the safest, most liberal town in the…” — Nicolas Winding Refn",
                "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": "Nicolas Winding Refn",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I was very affected as a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-was-very-affected-as-a-foreigner-coming-from-copenhagen-which-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-was-very-affected-as-a-foreigner-coming-from-copenhagen-which-is/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
