Actor Chris Pratt was honored Monday with the Generation Award at the MTV Movie & TV Awards, and he answered with a short but powerful speech — “I accept this responsibility as your elder, so listen up” — which he dubbed “9 Rules From Chris Pratt, Generation Award Winner.”
1 of 9 rules from @prattprattpratt “Don’t be a” Congrats on receiving the Generation Award! #MTVAwards pic.twitter.com/IFn87o8Kuk
— MTV (@MTV) June 19, 2018
The first rule was simple. “Breathe,” he said. “If you don’t, you will suffocate.”
The next two rules went a little deeper. “You have a soul. Be careful with it,” was Pratt’s second rule. His third: “Don’t be a turd. If you’re strong, be a protector. If you’re smart, be a humble influencer. Strength and intelligence can be weapons, and do not wield them against the weak. That makes you a bully.”
The fourth rule was about how to give medicine to a dog, but with the fifth, Pratt addressed the importance of hard work. He said, “whatever it is … earn it.”
In rule six, Pratt dug into the importance of faith, saying, “God is real. God loves you. God wants the best for you. Believe that. I do.”
(RELATED: Film Director James Gunn Defends Chris Pratt’s Prayers)
Rule seven detailed how to poop at a party, but the last two rules really drove Pratt’s message home. Rule eight was to learn to pray. “It’s easy,” Pratt said, “and it’s so good for your soul.”
With the ninth and final rule, “nobody’s perfect,” Pratt brought the conversation back around to faith. He said, “People are going to tell you that you’re perfect just the way you are — you’re not. You are imperfect, you always will be. But there is a powerful force that designed you that way, and if you’re willing to accept that, you will have grace. And grace is a gift. And like the freedom that we enjoy in this country, that grace is paid for with somebody else’s blood. Do not forget it. Don’t take it for granted.”