Bodybuilder turned Hollywood star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has been quite open about his not-so-pleasant childhood experience. His relationship with his father deteriorated over time, so much so that he didn’t even visit his funeral. Likewise, his brother, Meinhard, was also affected by their father’s abusive parenting and ended up depressed. 

The star athlete also did not visit his brother’s funeral because he didn’t want to face his past. Therefore, shedding light on their adverse childhood and how his brother’s life was badly influenced by it, Arnie once spoke in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s contrasting feature with his brother

Speaking in the interview, the 75-year-old pro was once urged to reflect on the negative repercussions of their harsh upbringing. Despite his efforts to constantly portray the abusive behavior of his father as something that fueled him, Arnie admitted that it was not the same for his elder brother, Meinhard. 

“We were opposites. He was more fragile. He got the same treatment and became an alcoholic and died drunk driving,” the champion confessed. Schwarzenegger perceived the experience as a factor for self-improvement, whereas his brother’s mental health spiraled. “What tore him down built me up,” he revealed in the interview with The Hollywood Reporter. 

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Quoting a popular saying by German philosopher, Nietzsche, Arnie told, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Sadly, his brother got “killed.” Furthermore, he referenced a scene from his movie Conan. There was a scene where Hollywood actor James Earl Jones, playing the role of Thulsa Doom, says a perceptive dialogue. “Why do you want to kill me? I created you,” he said in the movie. 

How does the dialogue from Conan resonate with Arnold Schwarzenegger?

In the 1982 movie, the protagonist’s parents were killed by Jones’ character, and the latter had created Conan’s fire in the belly to be a warrior and a king. Similarly, Arnie’s father’s harsh treatment encouraged him to leave his home and lead a better life separately. 

“The good thing is it made me hate my home so much that I left when I was 18 to start my own life that’s different,” the Austrian Oak admitted. Therefore, the former athlete does not dwell on his negative experiences but rather intends to move on with the beneficial aspects of it. 

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Even though Schwarzenegger loved his family dearly, he decided to stay aloof from it. He left his home at the mere age of 18 and has never looked back since.