Arnold Schwarzenegger is the definition of a modern-day success with a high-profile career in acting, business, politics, and bodybuilding. The former ‘Governator’ imparts valuable words of wisdom to the next generation on how to lead a successful life. He has now compiled these lessons in the form of a book, titled Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life.
Schwarzenegger discussed some aspects of his book during an interview with Morning Edition on NPR. In this conversation, The Terminator actor opened up about his experiences of becoming a useful and successful person in life.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Father Played A Major Role In Teaching Him This Life Lesson
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s parents, Gustav and Aurelia Schwarzenegger, hailed from Austria, with Gustav having been a member of the Nazi party. The Twins actor has mentioned his strict father on multiple occasions, even disclosing the physical abuse he faced from his father. Despite this, his father, who was an athlete, influenced Schwarzenegger to venture into sports and ultimately pursue bodybuilding.
During the interview, the True Lies actor revealed how his father served as a source of inspiration, teaching him the importance of being useful in life. Schwarzenegger’s drive to perform consistently developed at a young age, due to his father. The Predator actor revealed that if he ever overslept past his usual wake-up time, his father’s voice would echo in his head, urging him to “Be useful”. Arnold Schwarzenegger told NPR:
“Well, I think that ever since my father stressed when I was a kid to be useful. I think it had an impact on me, and it stayed with me as a method, so much so that I always wanted to perform and do more. It became such a big part of my life that even when I sleep in – sometimes past 6:00 in the morning – I feel guilty because I hear my father’s voice saying, ‘Arnold, that’s not how this country was built, by sleeping in. Be useful, do something. What are you doing today?’”
Whether the voice in his head stems from the trauma inflicted by his strict father or his need to adhere to a routine, the Total Recall actor took advantage of it to build a successful life.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Father Had A Shady Past As A Nazi
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s father ensured that his son understood what being useful meant. According to the Commando actor, when he began bodybuilding at the age of 15, his father would say something like,
“Why are you lifting these dumbbells and barbells? Don’t you think it would be better to just go out and chop some wood and shovel some coals for some poor people that don’t have anyone?” (via NPR).
However, the undeniable fact remains that his father had been a Nazi and may have had involvement in the Holocaust atrocities, although no definite proof of this exists. Schwarzenegger often trivialized his father’s abusive nature as a cultural norm privy to that period. However, he chose not to attend his father’s funeral. An exclusive excerpt from his book, released by People, mentions Schwarzenegger’s complicated relationship with his father. The Escape Plan actor wrote in his book (via People):
“None of us has a choice about where we come from. I grew up in a small village in Austria at the beginning of the Cold War. My mother was very loving. My father was strict, and he could be physically abusive, but I loved him very much. It was complicated.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s book, Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life, is expected to hit the stores on October 24 and is currently available for pre-order.
