--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was 20 years old, I had no plans…" description: "\"When I was 20 years old, I had no plans to ever be a filmmaker.\" — Spike Jonze" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e95/spike-jonze-3309_ever_when-i-was-20-years-old-i-had-no-plans-t_746202.jpg" --- # When I was 20 years old, I had no plans to ever be a… ![“When I was 20 years old, I had no plans to ever be a filmmaker.” quote by Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e95/spike-jonze-3309_ever_when-i-was-20-years-old-i-had-no-plans-t_746202.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e95/spike-jonze-3309_ever_when-i-was-20-years-old-i-had-no-plans-t_746202.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e95/spike-jonze-3309_ever_when-i-was-20-years-old-i-had-no-plans-t_746202.jpg) > “When I was 20 years old, I had no plans to ever be a filmmaker.” [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on an unexpected career path, showing that passions can emerge later in life. **In simple terms:** He didn't plan to be a filmmaker at 20. Key Takeaway Stay open to new possibilities. Themes career self‑discovery creativity film growth Mood inspirational reflective Type personal motivational When to use this quote - college - career counseling - creative workshops - personal reflection Key Concepts identity formation late‑blooming career change Questions to Reflect On - What unexpected interests could you explore? - How can you nurture emerging passions? A Different Perspective Not everyone discovers their calling early. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) ## Related quotes > [I think that every technology company that's more than 20 years old will break up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andreessen/i-think-that-every-technology-company-that-s-more-than-20-years-old/) [Marc Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andreessen/) > [If someone's 20 years old and every third line out of their mouth is anti-something specific, then draw your own conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bronson-pinchot/if-someone-s-20-years-old-and-every-third-line-out-of-their-mouth-is/) [Bronson Pinchot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bronson-pinchot/) > [When I was born in 1920, the auto was only 20 years old. Radio didn't exist. TV didn't exist. I was born at just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/when-i-was-born-in-1920-the-auto-was-only-20-years-old-radio-didn-t/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [When you are 20 years old, you are immature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melky-cabrera/when-you-are-20-years-old-you-are-immature/) [Melky Cabrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melky-cabrera/) > [Me coming in the NFL 20 years old, very young, not really knowing the right and wrong thing to do, I had to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desean-jackson/me-coming-in-the-nfl-20-years-old-very-young-not-really-knowing-the/) [DeSean Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desean-jackson/) > [When I was 20 years old, I was living in Ireland, going to school in Cork. There was this girl in my film class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sacca/when-i-was-20-years-old-i-was-living-in-ireland-going-to-school-in/) [Chris Sacca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sacca/) > [Here is a fear for me, I never wanted to be one of those guys that was defined by a body of work 20…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/here-is-a-fear-for-me-i-never-wanted-to-be-one-of-those-guys-that-was/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [The first time that I went to the United States was in 1974. I was 20 years old. America was in crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-hollande/the-first-time-that-i-went-to-the-united-states-was-in-1974-i-was-20/) [Francois Hollande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-hollande/) > [I was 20 years old at Pearl Harbor. I was in the Navy about a year and four months before the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-ross/i-was-20-years-old-at-pearl-harbor-i-was-in-the-navy-about-a-year-and/) [Barney Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-ross/) > [I don't know who's 18 years old today that, 20 years hence, is going to be a jazz fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-granz/i-don-t-know-who-s-18-years-old-today-that-20-years-hence-is-going-to/) [Norman Granz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-granz/) > [I started writing music around 20 years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-d/i-started-writing-music-around-20-years-old/) J.I.D > [I don't think I would ever have been able to be an actress had I not started at nine years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/i-don-t-think-i-would-ever-have-been-able-to-be-an-actress-had-i-not/) [Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/) > [“but 20 years from now it will be bizarre if you walk into a store and the store doesn’t know who you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-scoble/but-20-years-from-now-it-will-be-bizarre-if-you-walk-into-a-store-and/) [Robert Scoble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-scoble/) > [I have so many people come up to me, 20-some years later, and saying, "I loved you in Jawbreaker!".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-benz/i-have-so-many-people-come-up-to-me-20-some-years-later-and-saying-i/) [Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-benz/) > [If my wisdom could get support from officials, I think society would move forward 20 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-guangbiao/if-my-wisdom-could-get-support-from-officials-i-think-society-would/) [Chen Guangbiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-guangbiao/) ## More by Spike Jonze > [When I'm making stuff, the thing that excites me most is not the result, but the process and trying to do something I've never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/when-i-m-making-stuff-the-thing-that-excites-me-most-is-not-the/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [“Falling in love is kind of like a form of socially acceptable insanity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/falling-in-love-is-kind-of-like-a-form-of-socially-acceptable-insanity/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [On set, there's a lot of pressure. But it sort of heightens the moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/on-set-there-s-a-lot-of-pressure-but-it-sort-of-heightens-the-moments/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [There was definitely a point in my thirties when I thought, 'Oh, wow, I'm not the youngest person on the set anymore.' But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/there-was-definitely-a-point-in-my-thirties-when-i-thought-oh-wow-i-m/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [I think there's a knee-jerk reaction to things from parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/i-think-there-s-a-knee-jerk-reaction-to-things-from-parents/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [I feel like you only have so much time to make stuff. I'm definitely aware of that. I'm also excited about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/i-feel-like-you-only-have-so-much-time-to-make-stuff-i-m-definitely/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [Obviously technology has become such a big presence in our lives and, I definitely know, in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/obviously-technology-has-become-such-a-big-presence-in-our-lives-and/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [As creatives, it's a hard thing to push, to make something you're truly excited about, especially if you've written 100 different concepts and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/as-creatives-it-s-a-hard-thing-to-push-to-make-something-you-re-truly/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [I definitely check my phone for texts a lot - like, 'Did anyone text me? Is anyone thinking about me? 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When I was filming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-robbie/i-say-this-about-everything-when-i-was-on-neighbours-i-said-these-are/) [Margot Robbie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-robbie/) > [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. You'll be sitting there not wishing to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-say-this-is-the-last-time-music-isn-t/) [Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/) > [Ninety-eight percent of the things that come out of my mouth are intended to be harmless or even charming. They're not ever intended to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/ninety-eight-percent-of-the-things-that-come-out-of-my-mouth-are/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [My mother worked in the white world, but I lived almost exclusively in a black world. I don't think I had ever seen a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/my-mother-worked-in-the-white-world-but-i-lived-almost-exclusively-in/) [Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/) > [I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood and was raised by a man who did not emote, ever... I always cry at movies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/i-grew-up-in-a-blue-collar-neighborhood-and-was-raised-by-a-man-who/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [Close contact between science and the practice of collective farms and State farms creates inexhaustible opportunities for the development of theoretical knowledge, enabling us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trofim-lysenko/close-contact-between-science-and-the-practice-of-collective-farms/) [Trofim Lysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trofim-lysenko/) > [If I ever had twins, I'd use one for parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/if-i-ever-had-twins-i-d-use-one-for-parts/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I loved 'Funny Lady' for whatever reason. People say they didn't know I could sing and dance. 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