--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first decade of your life is really…" description: "\"The first decade of your life is really important; it's formative.\" — Viggo Mortensen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdb/viggo-mortensen-1554_firsts_the-first-decade-of-your-life-is-really_2069535.jpg" --- # The first decade of your life is really important; it's… ![“The first decade of your life is really important; it's formative.” quote by Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdb/viggo-mortensen-1554_firsts_the-first-decade-of-your-life-is-really_2069535.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdb/viggo-mortensen-1554_firsts_the-first-decade-of-your-life-is-really_2069535.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdb/viggo-mortensen-1554_firsts_the-first-decade-of-your-life-is-really_2069535.jpg) > “The first decade of your life is really important; it's formative.” [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early childhood shapes a person’s character and future choices, making the first ten years crucial for development. **In simple terms:** The first ten years are key to forming who you become. Key Takeaway Prioritize nurturing during early years. Themes development childhood formation growth education Mood hopeful thoughtful inspirational Type advice educational philosophical When to use this quote - parenting - education policy - personal development Key Concepts psychology neuroscience longterm impact Questions to Reflect On - What habits formed early persist today? - How can early interventions change trajectories? A Different Perspective Later life can be heavily influenced by genetics beyond early environment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decade/) [Decade Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decade-life-2177618/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Formative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/formative/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important Formative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-formative-3989501/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is/) [Really Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-important/) ## Related quotes > [I think the early years, the first decade of your life, is the most formative in a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/i-think-the-early-years-the-first-decade-of-your-life-is-the-most/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [For me, 30s have been the greatest decade of my life yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-faustino/for-me-30s-have-been-the-greatest-decade-of-my-life-yet/) [David Faustino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-faustino/) > [“Damn it, Ev, you’ve passed your third decade in life. You’re no longer a spring chicken, nor are you a featherhead loon!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-puz/damn-it-ev-you-ve-passed-your-third-decade-in-life-you-re-no-longer-a/) [Richard Puz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-puz/) > [“That the things in life which don't go to plan are usually more important, more formative, in the long run, than the things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-o-farrell/that-the-things-in-life-which-don-t-go-to-plan-are-usually-more/) [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) > [I'd like to have a decade of my life back. I dropped into a void for almost a decade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-durning/i-d-like-to-have-a-decade-of-my-life-back-i-dropped-into-a-void-for/) [Charles Durning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-durning/) > [In the '80s, it was difficult and frustrating to appear in the theater and TV again, even though I had some successful shows and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cassidy/in-the-80s-it-was-difficult-and-frustrating-to-appear-in-the-theater/) [David Cassidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cassidy/) > [I can be a woodsman if need be. I grew up very close to some forest, and I spent a lot of my formative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-turner/i-can-be-a-woodsman-if-need-be-i-grew-up-very-close-to-some-forest/) [Alex Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-turner/) > [I'm a child of the '80s, so like everyone else, I love all those classic, formative movies - 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off,' 'Pretty in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-weisberger/i-m-a-child-of-the-80s-so-like-everyone-else-i-love-all-those-classic/) [Lauren Weisberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-weisberger/) > [I do all I can to maintain good health. I eat mostly plants, as Michael Pollan would say. I get a lot of exercise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/i-do-all-i-can-to-maintain-good-health-i-eat-mostly-plants-as-michael/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [For me, the times in my life when I've been single have been more formative and crucial than I could have imagined. I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-manville/for-me-the-times-in-my-life-when-i-ve-been-single-have-been-more/) [Lesley Manville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-manville/) > [My Methodist upbringing was very formative in my politics. I was born in 1969, and there was all this ecumenical 'we're in this together'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-burns/my-methodist-upbringing-was-very-formative-in-my-politics-i-was-born/) [Joel Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-burns/) > [If women's choices - such as taking time off to rear children - make them less productive in the economy, does adolescent boys' behavior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sendhil-mullainathan/if-women-s-choices-such-as-taking-time-off-to-rear-children-make-them/) [Sendhil Mullainathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sendhil-mullainathan/) > [I'm an obsessive musical theatre person, so some of the most formative albums for me were, you know, the 'Phantom Of The Opera' soundtrack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-williams/i-m-an-obsessive-musical-theatre-person-so-some-of-the-most-formative/) [Allison Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-williams/) > [The most formative time of our lives are the years between birth and age 21, when we explore who we are and learn from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/the-most-formative-time-of-our-lives-are-the-years-between-birth-and/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [“Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would not take the garbage out! She'd scour the pots and scrape the pans, Candy the yams and spice the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/sarah-cynthia-sylvia-stout-would-not-take-the-garbage-out-she-d-scour/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) ## More by Viggo Mortensen > [Speaking more than one language and living in a multicultural family and environment did not seem like anything but what it was: the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/speaking-more-than-one-language-and-living-in-a-multicultural-family/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [We all experience many freakish and unexpected events - you have to be open to suffering a little. The philosopher Schopenhauer talked about how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/we-all-experience-many-freakish-and-unexpected-events-you-have-to-be/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [Most actors can't make any kind of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/most-actors-can-t-make-any-kind-of-living/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [As far as money goes, there's a saying in Denmark: 'Your last suit doesn't have any pockets.' You can't take it with you. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/as-far-as-money-goes-there-s-a-saying-in-denmark-your-last-suit-doesn/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [Most movies are lucky to have one moment, one shot that you look at and you always remember that moment and that scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/most-movies-are-lucky-to-have-one-moment-one-shot-that-you-look-at/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [I like stories that leave you wanting more, leave you wondering, but don't tell you everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/i-like-stories-that-leave-you-wanting-more-leave-you-wondering-but/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [Usually the characters I play are men of few words, who communicate in non-verbal ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/usually-the-characters-i-play-are-men-of-few-words-who-communicate-in/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [You do need to get lucky, no matter how talented you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/you-do-need-to-get-lucky-no-matter-how-talented-you-are/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [When I was a little boy, I rode, but I didn't own horses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/when-i-was-a-little-boy-i-rode-but-i-didn-t-own-horses/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [I realise how important it is to use the time I have. I respect people who want to do that by watching television. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/i-realise-how-important-it-is-to-use-the-time-i-have-i-respect-people/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [When I land in a country and they ask for 'occupation,' I always just put 'artist.' I think that covers all of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/when-i-land-in-a-country-and-they-ask-for-occupation-i-always-just/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [I was born in New York but as a baby moved to Venezuela and Argentina. I've also lived in Denmark, where my father's from.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/i-was-born-in-new-york-but-as-a-baby-moved-to-venezuela-and-argentina/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [People are becoming more intimately acquainted with people who are different than them - it's not so unusual anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/people-are-becoming-more-intimately-acquainted-with-people-who-are/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [There might be people out there who wouldn't hire me because they thought I should keep my mouth shut, but I'm not aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/there-might-be-people-out-there-who-wouldn-t-hire-me-because-they/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [Bernie Sanders has inspired millions of people in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/bernie-sanders-has-inspired-millions-of-people-in-this-country/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) [Explore all 228 Viggo Mortensen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) ## More Decade quotes > [It's funny, I used to say on 'That 70's Show', you could really put us in any decade, and it was about the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-prepon/it-s-funny-i-used-to-say-on-that-70-s-show-you-could-really-put-us-in/) [Laura Prepon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-prepon/) > [It was an odd coincidence that my career took off the same decade as having babies. I often wished it had been different, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-kaczmarek/it-was-an-odd-coincidence-that-my-career-took-off-the-same-decade-as/) [Jane Kaczmarek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-kaczmarek/) > [I saw Len Hutton in his prime, Another time, another time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/i-saw-len-hutton-in-his-prime-another-time-another-time/) [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) > [The 1970s, the decade of my teenage years, was a transitional period in American youth culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-allin-cornell/the-1970s-the-decade-of-my-teenage-years-was-a-transitional-period-in/) [Eric Allin Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-allin-cornell/) > [I was eating beans by candle light for a decade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-andre/i-was-eating-beans-by-candle-light-for-a-decade/) [Eric Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-andre/) > [I'm a product of the 1970s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-rushin/i-m-a-product-of-the-1970s/) [Steve Rushin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-rushin/) > [“The eighties happened. The nineties happened. Death and sickness and getting fat and going bald happened. I traded lots of dreams for a bigger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/the-eighties-happened-the-nineties-happened-death-and-sickness-and/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [When you're playing the same character for a decade it's natural that there are moments when you want to try something new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-schwimmer/when-you-re-playing-the-same-character-for-a-decade-it-s-natural-that/) [David Schwimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-schwimmer/) > [I grew up in the '60s, which was a creative time, so it wasn't that big of a stretch to go from a baseball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/i-grew-up-in-the-60s-which-was-a-creative-time-so-it-wasn-t-that-big/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [I was a child of the '80s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/i-was-a-child-of-the-80s/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [I don't buy into the glory days thing. I think every time has its great things to it. The '60s were such a glorious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-gordon-levitt/i-don-t-buy-into-the-glory-days-thing-i-think-every-time-has-its/) [Joseph Gordon-Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-gordon-levitt/) > [You know, there's nothing in 'E.T.' that earmarks it as really '80s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-duffer/you-know-there-s-nothing-in-e-t-that-earmarks-it-as-really-80s/) [Matt Duffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-duffer/) > [When I look back on my life, it seems nearly everything of interest happened in little more than one decade - dramas, tragedies, major…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-radziwill/when-i-look-back-on-my-life-it-seems-nearly-everything-of-interest/) [Lee Radziwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-radziwill/) > [I have this obsession with the '80s because I missed all of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-spektor/i-have-this-obsession-with-the-80s-because-i-missed-all-of-it/) [Regina Spektor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-spektor/) > [I sort of don't remember anything I did in the '70s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-peterson/i-sort-of-don-t-remember-anything-i-did-in-the-70s/) [Cassandra Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-peterson/) [Browse all 615 Decade quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decade/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The first decade of your life is really important; it's formative.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Viggo Mortensen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/the-first-decade-of-your-life-is-really-important-it-s-formative/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decade" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/the-first-decade-of-your-life-is-really-important-it-s-formative/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdb/viggo-mortensen-1554_firsts_the-first-decade-of-your-life-is-really_2069535.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdb/viggo-mortensen-1554_firsts_the-first-decade-of-your-life-is-really_2069535.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdb/viggo-mortensen-1554_firsts_the-first-decade-of-your-life-is-really_2069535.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The first decade of your life is really important; it's formative.” — Viggo Mortensen", "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": "Viggo Mortensen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The first decade of your life...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/the-first-decade-of-your-life-is-really-important-it-s-formative/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/the-first-decade-of-your-life-is-really-important-it-s-formative/#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 } } ] } ```