Roberto Benigni Advocates Dreaming and Embracing Doubt
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The Italian actor and comedian Roberto Benigni is best known in the English-speaking world for his 1997 film Life is Beautiful, which won three Oscars.
But, in his native country, he’s just as famous for his monologues, which blend his trademark exuberance and humour with commentary on politics and literature.
All of these classic elements were present in the monologue Benigni delivered to a packed St Peter’s Square on Sunday, following Mass for the first World Children’s Day.
The Italian actor addressed the Pope – and the thousands of children who had gathered in the square – on subjects ranging from dreams and fairytales to doubt, war, and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
Roberto Benigni emphasizes the importance of staying awake to dream, encouraging reading, writing, and invention. He advocates for exposing children to fairytales, highlighting their significance in teaching that challenges can be overcome. Benigni also promotes embracing difficulty and learning from mistakes, citing the Leaning Tower of Pisa as an example of a beautiful mistake.
He also said that it’s normal to feel unsure and indecisive when young, and emphasizes the value of doubts and uncertainties. The speaker encourages the reader to embrace skepticism and doubt, suggesting that uncertainty is more valuable than certainty.
The Italian actor emphasized the profound wisdom in Jesus’ teachings, particularly the concept of mercy and the struggle to find the right words to bring about positive change. Expressing a firm belief in the existence of a transformative word to end war, the actor encourages collective effort in the search for this pivotal term.
