The Red Couch - Sir Peter Ustinov

Sir Peter Ustinov, born in London in 1921 (†2004) and quadrilingually reared, was an actor, author, director, Unicef ambassador and “citizen of the world”. He said, he feels “anywhere at home, where you live civilised“, for example, in the countrified area of Bursins near Geneva. There Ustinov has lived since 1957 - witha few dozen suitcases, of which is said that many haven´t ever been unpacked.
What is your definition of happiness?
Happiness is one of those abstract ideals which are on everybody´s horizon.It is something you always have to yearn for in the hope of never entirely reaching because it would be too good to be true.Basically I am an extremely happy man but I don’t mean to say that I am happy all the time.
What is your definition of unhappiness?
The opposite, I think is mainly if you are not satisfied with yourself. Making the whole game possible by putting happiness within reach and happiness like everything else is a compromise. And one has to steer one´s way through the minefield. And I think, it helps if you learn to enjoy the challenges. I think I am an optimist because I know how sad, how miserable life can be and I think a pessimist is someone who finds this out anew every morning.
What was the worst ting you ever did?
I really can´t remember the bad things that happened and I am sure I did some frightful things, but most of them were mean you know at school. Memory is a very soothing thing and it takes away the unpleasant things. When it starts taking away the pleasant things, then you know you are getting old.
What is your expectation after death?
I resigned myself to the fact that there will be nothing after death. People have asked me what I want to be put on my tombstone and I thought: “Please keep off the grass” is the best thing I can find.
Do you have a question to the audience?
I think all the questions are there already. We are only waiting for answers.
Sir Peter Ustinov
Actor, author and director
Schauspieler, Autor und Regisseur
Bursins, Schweiz, 1998

[@Delilah.Elizabeth]

Loved this! May Sir Peter Rest in Peace! 🙏🏻☮️

[@towerburkindine]

There is something so captivating and so enchanting about this man. I don’t know if it’s his overwhelming talent, or his intellect or even simply his sense of style and fashion or the fact that he was a tremendous humanitarian.. I’m devoted to him!! God Bless his memory!!

[@fiomcc8298]

Absolutamente inteligente 🧐 y con picardía! Gracias

[@M21L35]

Sir Peter is more than deserving of his personal throne in Heaven as a testimonial to the Great Ustinov as perhaps the greatest Thespian of all time!

[@gardgardner4912]

How learned is the man... Speaks spiritual poetry through casual prose...

[@linmonash1244]

Is there a reason why this man was required to fight his way through a wheat field in order to find a place to sit down? Or was this his own idea? Love Peter's definition of 'World Citizen'. Should be taught in every Kindergarten and then repeated throughout the rest of the Education system - in every country. Unfortunately, brutal nationalistic territorial conflicts continue. Despite all humanities advances - we don't seem to have evolved very far... I'm sure what is currently happening in Ukraine would have saddened Peter immeasurably. We can only hope that it is resolved as quickly as possible. I've always felt a sort of 'familial connection' with Peter , and don't know why. My own family has Dutch, Russian, Jewish, Portuguese origins - so perhaps there's some vague link somewhere back several centuries ago!? In any case, my own parents migrated to Australia, and because I looked 'vaguely foreign' and had masses of curls, local children used to shout "Abo"! {Aboriginal} at me - which they thought was an insult and to which I would reply proudly "Yes! I AM!" And laugh and run away. Just to mess with their heads. Perhaps the real connection was this sense of belonging no-where in particular - but also everywhere. Such a brilliant engaging man. A sad loss when he left us - but WHAT a far reaching Contribution.

[@richardebbole1]

irreplaceable

[@gardgardner4912]

Sir Peter Ustinov says (In the video before us): Perfection is death.... I take philosophical exception to that.... Death can inspire life but not in the same way as perfection.. Therefore, death is not perfection and, it follows rather as the night the day, perfection is not death.... I would say: perfection, for all the earthly glory is but a moment's fancy.... Once attained or, seen to be attained, the enveloping moment is but the vessel and essence and, other things of "fleeting wonder"... So human and, the child of our brains; the conception of perfection is as arduous as that by a madly loving pregnant mother of her newborn .. Hence, 'tis life perfection signifies, not death.... All respect to memory of Sir Peter Ustinov, who in moment of philosophising hath prompted mine latter comments.

[@octo.lina69]

I'd love to sit down & converse with him🙏🏻

[@yourgirlme9163]

Brilliant ☀️

[@ViolinStimme]

For a great linguist, I fear Sir peter used the word 'perfection' when he meant scientific 'precision'! Speaking both as a musician and a human being I do understand that. Stradivarius constructed his wonderful instruments using two mathematical systems - The Golden Rule (a true universal measurement of which, for example, shells are constructed) and the Brunswick inch which was merely a random local interpretation of the inch as were all such inches then! he, therefore, combined the Divine and the simple! (Perfection! Whoops, sorry, Sir peter!)

[@jeffsmith2022]

I have to say that I loved this man in the film, ' Billy Budd'...

[@davehyde6207]

Irreplaceable...

[@PP266]

It's "Northern" Macedonia today. :/

[@ryanberg3000]

10.30. So, God has no personality!

[@Tridhos]

He would be appalled at how nationalistic the country of his birth has become.

[@londoncalling151]

The only tragedy is that we haven't become nationalistic at all. Given that Communism, Fascism, Nazism and Imperialism are all anti-nationalist ideologies, it's more than eyebrow-raising to see anyone support the European Union as a concept. They must be either misguided or malicious. Perhaps ask the Irish, the Armenians, the Greeks, the Italians, the Poles or the Jews about living as nations without a nation state? Nationalism was the most success ideology of the 20th century, defeating imperialism, communism and nazism. Ant-nationalist narratives start wars, nation states stop wars. Mr Ustinov had his own clandestine motives for this "Brotherhood of man" blather.

[@Tridhos]

@@londoncalling151 Nazism was anti-nationalist, that will come as a surprise to many. Usinov, clandestine motives, you must be a real great addition to humanity.