--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think where I've instinctively found…" description: "\"I think where I've instinctively found myself is that I am somewhat guarded in my public life. Being interviewed or being photographed or just in publi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/baa/annette-bening-3058_attention_i-think-where-i-ve-instinctively-found-m_926894.jpg" --- # I think where I've instinctively found myself is that I am… ![“I think where I've instinctively found myself is that I am somewhat guarded in my public life. Being interviewed or being photographed or just in public attention, I have a certain reserve. But when I'm working I feel like I'm very open. At least I like to believe that I feel like nothing is held…” quote by Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/baa/annette-bening-3058_attention_i-think-where-i-ve-instinctively-found-m_926894.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/baa/annette-bening-3058_attention_i-think-where-i-ve-instinctively-found-m_926894.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/baa/annette-bening-3058_attention_i-think-where-i-ve-instinctively-found-m_926894.jpg) > “I think where I've instinctively found myself is that I am somewhat guarded in my public life. Being interviewed or being photographed or just in public attention, I have a certain reserve. But when I'm working I feel like I'm very open. At least I like to believe that I feel like nothing is held back when I'm in front of a camera. That's my job.” [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She describes a personal contrast between a guarded public persona and an open, uninhibited work self, especially on camera. **In simple terms:** She feels more open when working than when in public. Key Takeaway Embrace authenticity in work settings. Themes self-awareness public image authenticity privacy performance Mood reflective introspective Type personal psychological When to use this quote - media interviews - public speaking - creative work - personal branding Key Concepts identity self-presentation psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does your work environment enable openness? - What fears arise in public settings? A Different Perspective Public expectations may pressure authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Cameras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cameras/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Public life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-life/) [Reserves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reserves/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The camera's only job is to get out of the way of making photographs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-rockwell/the-camera-s-only-job-is-to-get-out-of-the-way-of-making-photographs/) [Ken Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-rockwell/) > [You think the only thing looking at you is this steel thing, but behind the camera is this living, breathing person operating the camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/you-think-the-only-thing-looking-at-you-is-this-steel-thing-but/) [Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/) > [I never do anything for the camera. It's my job to pretend the camera's not there. I'm never moving for the camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/i-never-do-anything-for-the-camera-it-s-my-job-to-pretend-the-camera/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [My first camera job was filming workplace safety videos, which involved months of watching and videotaping people doing their jobs. I was hooked -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-granik/my-first-camera-job-was-filming-workplace-safety-videos-which/) [Debra Granik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-granik/) > [There's this crazy thinking that style guarantees truth. You go out with a hand-held camera, use available light, and somehow the truth emerges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/there-s-this-crazy-thinking-that-style-guarantees-truth-you-go-out/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [We used hand-held cameras 50 years ago. It wasn't something new. Sometimes we used a tripod, or we'd have a tracking shot, and sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilmos-zsigmond/we-used-hand-held-cameras-50-years-ago-it-wasn-t-something-new/) [Vilmos Zsigmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilmos-zsigmond/) > [As a child I had been so afraid of so many things, but as soon as I held a camera in my hand, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-lyon/as-a-child-i-had-been-so-afraid-of-so-many-things-but-as-soon-as-i/) [Danny Lyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-lyon/) > [“As if whoever it was held that camera was her closest friend. Or maybe it was the camera that was her closest friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/as-if-whoever-it-was-held-that-camera-was-her-closest-friend-or-maybe/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [We were using a hand-held camera to film the scene when Morse collapses. The camera wouldn't start. Three times they said action and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-thaw/we-were-using-a-hand-held-camera-to-film-the-scene-when-morse/) [John Thaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-thaw/) > [No one was jumping up and saying, 'Yeah, let me give you money.' I had never held a camera in my hand - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-lauren-adams/no-one-was-jumping-up-and-saying-yeah-let-me-give-you-money-i-had/) [Joey Lauren Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-lauren-adams/) > [“The tricky thing about the hood is that you’re always working, working, working, and you feel like something’s happening, but really nothing’s happening at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/the-tricky-thing-about-the-hood-is-that-you-re-always-working-working/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [I love working. I feel guilty about doing nothing; I get bored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-frost/i-love-working-i-feel-guilty-about-doing-nothing-i-get-bored/) [Nick Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-frost/) > [“working under him made him feel less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-mills/working-under-him-made-him-feel-less/) [Kyle Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-mills/) > [As a jobbing actor, you can't afford to be choosy; if you're typed, you're generally working. I still feel that way, and the thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-englund/as-a-jobbing-actor-you-can-t-afford-to-be-choosy-if-you-re-typed-you/) [Robert Englund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-englund/) > [I love working and I feel satisfied when I know I have literally given all the energy that I have. That being said, work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/i-love-working-and-i-feel-satisfied-when-i-know-i-have-literally/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) ## More by Annette Bening > [I never thought my private life would be newsworthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-never-thought-my-private-life-would-be-newsworthy/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I do have to take care of myself, not only because I'm in the movies, just for mental health reasons. I exercise for me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-do-have-to-take-care-of-myself-not-only-because-i-m-in-the-movies/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [We all get lost along the way, but hopefully we figure out some sort of path. It helps if you can imagine the process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/we-all-get-lost-along-the-way-but-hopefully-we-figure-out-some-sort/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [One of the things on a very practical level as an actor or actress is that when you do a play, you do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/one-of-the-things-on-a-very-practical-level-as-an-actor-or-actress-is/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [We want to be seen for who we really are, and each person has his own complex story and reasons for doing what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/we-want-to-be-seen-for-who-we-really-are-and-each-person-has-his-own/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I don't see myself as competing with other actresses. 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When I first had to watch myself, it was really hard because I'd done quite a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/it-s-always-tricky-to-watch-yourself-always-when-i-first-had-to-watch/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [To me, I didn't think of acting as being a young thing only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/to-me-i-didn-t-think-of-acting-as-being-a-young-thing-only/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I act, but I am a mother first and wife second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-act-but-i-am-a-mother-first-and-wife-second/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [Why I love acting is that it's totally subjective and I like that. I like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/why-i-love-acting-is-that-it-s-totally-subjective-and-i-like-that-i/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [Somebody said something really smart: It's like you end up being the defense attorney for your role. Your job is to defend their point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/somebody-said-something-really-smart-it-s-like-you-end-up-being-the/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [Anybody who has children and children who are well feels a sense of responsibility towards parents and kids and families that are struggling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/anybody-who-has-children-and-children-who-are-well-feels-a-sense-of/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I just want to be educated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-just-want-to-be-educated/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I remember hearing someone say that good acting is more about taking off a mask than putting one on, and in movie acting, certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-remember-hearing-someone-say-that-good-acting-is-more-about-taking/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) [Explore all 141 Annette Bening quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. 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They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. 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