---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's always tricky to watch yourself…"
description: "\"It's always tricky to watch yourself, always. When I first had to watch myself, it was really hard because I'd done quite a few plays and I've never se..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/annette-bening-3058_done_it-s-always-tricky-to-watch-yourself-alw_161011.jpg"
---

#  It's always tricky to watch yourself, always. When I first…

![“It's always tricky to watch yourself, always. When I first had to watch myself, it was really hard because I'd done quite a few plays and I've never seen myself. So I was professional but I'd never watched myself. So I was like hearing you know... I'm sure you guys are all much more familiar with…” quote by Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/annette-bening-3058_done_it-s-always-tricky-to-watch-yourself-alw_161011.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/annette-bening-3058_done_it-s-always-tricky-to-watch-yourself-alw_161011.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/annette-bening-3058_done_it-s-always-tricky-to-watch-yourself-alw_161011.jpg)

> “It's always tricky to watch yourself, always. When I first had to watch myself, it was really hard because I'd done quite a few plays and I've never seen myself. So I was professional but I'd never watched myself. So I was like hearing you know... I'm sure you guys are all much more familiar with that because everybody has a phone, and everyone's taking pictures of themselves and making movies of themselves. And so people are more accustomed to it now. So I had to get used to it because there's a lot to be learned, of course, as an actor. When you watch yourself, you learn a lot.”

[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.

Observing one's own performance reveals blind spots and fosters growth, though it can feel uncomfortable at first.

**In simple terms:** Watching yourself helps you improve, despite initial discomfort.

Key Takeaway

Embrace self‑observation to refine your craft.

Themes

self‑awareness growth performance learning discomfort

Mood

reflective motivated

Type

advice instructional

When to use this quote

- acting rehearsals
- public speaking
- sports training
- music practice

Key Concepts

metacognition feedback loops skill development

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you balance honest self‑review with self‑compassion?
- What specific habits can you adopt to turn observations into actionable improvements?

A Different Perspective

Self‑scrutiny may lead to over‑analysis and self‑criticism.

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[Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Making movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-movies/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Taking pictures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-pictures/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/)

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