---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think it comes down to the type of…"
description: "\"I think it comes down to the type of personality that the performing arts seem to attract. And that's outgoing, very sensitive - sometimes incredibly i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2be/audra-mcdonald-9650_art_i-think-it-comes-down-to-the-type-of-per_1490707.jpg"
---

#  I think it comes down to the type of personality that the…

![“I think it comes down to the type of personality that the performing arts seem to attract. And that's outgoing, very sensitive - sometimes incredibly insecure - people, that for some reason need a lot of validation. They have a lot that they have to get out, and they choose one of the hardest…” quote by Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2be/audra-mcdonald-9650_art_i-think-it-comes-down-to-the-type-of-per_1490707.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2be/audra-mcdonald-9650_art_i-think-it-comes-down-to-the-type-of-per_1490707.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2be/audra-mcdonald-9650_art_i-think-it-comes-down-to-the-type-of-per_1490707.jpg)

> “I think it comes down to the type of personality that the performing arts seem to attract. And that's outgoing, very sensitive - sometimes incredibly insecure - people, that for some reason need a lot of validation. They have a lot that they have to get out, and they choose one of the hardest professions in the world in which to exist, being as sensitive as you need to be.”

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Performing artists often possess heightened sensitivity and a deep need for external validation, which can make the demanding nature of the arts especially challenging.

**In simple terms:** Artists are often sensitive and seek validation, making their work tough.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and nurture self‑validation.

Themes

sensitivity validation performing arts career challenges

Mood

reflective empathetic

Type

observational analytical

When to use this quote

- stage performance
- audition preparation
- career counseling
- mental health support

Key Concepts

psychology self‑esteem creative expression

Questions to Reflect On

- How can artists build internal confidence?
- What strategies help balance sensitivity with professional demands?

A Different Perspective

Reliance on external approval can hinder intrinsic motivation and resilience.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Insecure people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insecure-people/) [Outgoing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outgoing/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Performing arts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performing-arts/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) [Profession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profession/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Validation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/validation/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [I came from a really musical family. I studied classical piano because my grandparents were piano teachers, but started doing musical theater at age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-came-from-a-really-musical-family-i-studied-classical-piano-because/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [I think for a lot of people that are in performing arts, it's easy to fall into the trap of starting to confuse what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-think-for-a-lot-of-people-that-are-in-performing-arts-it-s-easy-to/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [In the performing arts you have to have thick, thick, thick skin, because of all the rejection you face on a daily basis, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/in-the-performing-arts-you-have-to-have-thick-thick-thick-skin/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [I think in the end there is one ultimate goal with all my careers, and that is, as a performing artist, you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-think-in-the-end-there-is-one-ultimate-goal-with-all-my-careers-and/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [Leinenkugels makes better beer now that Miller bought them. It will license insecure people to like craft beers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/leinenkugels-makes-better-beer-now-that-miller-bought-them-it-will/)

[Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/)

> [Chronically insecure people easily lose their altruism, tolerance, and respect for non-conformity. If they have no alternative on offer, they can be led to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-standing/chronically-insecure-people-easily-lose-their-altruism-tolerance-and/)

[Guy Standing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-standing/)

> [“What you deeply resent in another, is actually a reflection of what you wish you had or what you wish you could be. Resentful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/what-you-deeply-resent-in-another-is-actually-a-reflection-of-what/)

[C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/)

> [There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/there-is-nothing-enlightened-about-shrinking-so-that-other-people/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [Only insecure people cheat on their partners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/only-insecure-people-cheat-on-their-partners/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Insecure people have a special sensitivity for anything that finally confirms their own low opinion of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/insecure-people-have-a-special-sensitivity-for-anything-that-finally/)

[Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/)

> [As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/as-we-are-liberated-from-our-own-fear-our-presence-automatically/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [“Insecure people only eclipse your sun because they’re jealous of your daylight and tired of their dark, starless nights.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/insecure-people-only-eclipse-your-sun-because-they-re-jealous-of-your/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“The Italian philosopher Paolo Virno says we have moved from having a “proletariat”—a solid block of manual workers with jobs—to a “precariat,” a shifting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/the-italian-philosopher-paolo-virno-says-we-have-moved-from-having-a/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [Haters gonna hate. Insecure people will always be insecure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/haters-gonna-hate-insecure-people-will-always-be-insecure/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I love how the most insecure people on Facebook are the ones who post a new self portrait every 6 hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-how-the-most-insecure-people-on-facebook-are-the-ones-who-post/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Audra McDonald

> [Anytime I get the chance to sing or work with Michael John, it is such an incredibly fertile and incredibly creative and safe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/anytime-i-get-the-chance-to-sing-or-work-with-michael-john-it-is-such/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [One thing that is constantly on my iPod is India Arie - I like her a lot; I listen to her a lot. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/one-thing-that-is-constantly-on-my-ipod-is-india-arie-i-like-her-a/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [And I found the theater, and I found my home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/and-i-found-the-theater-and-i-found-my-home/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [I was a little girl with a pot belly and Afro puffs, hyperactive and overdramatic, and I found the theater and I found my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-was-a-little-girl-with-a-pot-belly-and-afro-puffs-hyperactive-and/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [I find that I'm just drawn to anything that's going to challenge me as an actress. So, anything that's going to help me grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-find-that-i-m-just-drawn-to-anything-that-s-going-to-challenge-me/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [I choose things that challenge me. I was afraid of the camera - that's why I chose to do 'Private Practice.' It's not like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-choose-things-that-challenge-me-i-was-afraid-of-the-camera-that-s/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [When you become a parent, it blows you open in ways that you never thought possible in terms of a level of love that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/when-you-become-a-parent-it-blows-you-open-in-ways-that-you-never/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [Without theater, I don't think I would have thought I was a smart person or excelled at anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/without-theater-i-don-t-think-i-would-have-thought-i-was-a-smart/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [I feel a connection to many songs that I won't sing because I don't think they are right for me! There is something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-feel-a-connection-to-many-songs-that-i-won-t-sing-because-i-don-t/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [I've spent my whole career trying to stay out of any box that anyone could put me in. 'I'm going to do a play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-ve-spent-my-whole-career-trying-to-stay-out-of-any-box-that-anyone/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [I auditioned for Julliard because I wanted to live in New York, and I wanted to be on Broadway at the time. Julliard seemed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-auditioned-for-julliard-because-i-wanted-to-live-in-new-york-and-i/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [I used to practice Tony speeches in my bathroom with my hairbrush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-used-to-practice-tony-speeches-in-my-bathroom-with-my-hairbrush/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [I think in the end there is one ultimate goal with all my careers, and that is, as a performing artist, you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-think-in-the-end-there-is-one-ultimate-goal-with-all-my-careers-and/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [I guess what I know now that I definitely didn't know as a child, is that being truest to yourself is the greatest weapon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-guess-what-i-know-now-that-i-definitely-didn-t-know-as-a-child-is/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

> [Every human being has a dream. I think what's special about the American Dream is that it implies, given everything that's happened with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/every-human-being-has-a-dream-i-think-what-s-special-about-the/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

[Explore all 71 Audra McDonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

## More Art quotes

> [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/)

[Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/)

> [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/)

[Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/)

> [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/)

[Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/)

> [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/)

Taf Teh

> [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/)

[Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/)

> [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/)

[Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/)

[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/)

> [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/)

[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/)

> [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

[Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think it comes down to the type of personality that the performing arts seem to attract. And that's outgoing, very sensitive - sometimes incredibly insecure - people, that for some reason need a lot of validation. They have a lot that they have to get out, and they choose one of the hardest professions in the world in which to exist, being as sensitive as you need to be.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Audra McDonald"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-think-it-comes-down-to-the-type-of-personality-that-the-performing/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Art"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-think-it-comes-down-to-the-type-of-personality-that-the-performing/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2be/audra-mcdonald-9650_art_i-think-it-comes-down-to-the-type-of-per_1490707.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2be/audra-mcdonald-9650_art_i-think-it-comes-down-to-the-type-of-per_1490707.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2be/audra-mcdonald-9650_art_i-think-it-comes-down-to-the-type-of-per_1490707.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think it comes down to the type of personality that the performing arts seem to attract. And that's…” — Audra McDonald",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Audra McDonald",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think it comes down to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-think-it-comes-down-to-the-type-of-personality-that-the-performing/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/i-think-it-comes-down-to-the-type-of-personality-that-the-performing/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
