--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can't specify this enough: when cameras…" description: "\"I can't specify this enough: when cameras go on, everybody wanna be big and tough. You're not like that in real life.\" — Erica Mena" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/erica-mena-10891_big_i-can-t-specify-this-enough-when-cameras_1074372.jpg" --- # I can't specify this enough: when cameras go on, everybody… ![“I can't specify this enough: when cameras go on, everybody wanna be big and tough. You're not like that in real life.” quote by Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/erica-mena-10891_big_i-can-t-specify-this-enough-when-cameras_1074372.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/erica-mena-10891_big_i-can-t-specify-this-enough-when-cameras_1074372.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/erica-mena-10891_big_i-can-t-specify-this-enough-when-cameras_1074372.jpg) > “I can't specify this enough: when cameras go on, everybody wanna be big and tough. You're not like that in real life.” [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When cameras are on, people act bravely, unlike their true selves. **In simple terms:** People act tougher on camera. Key Takeaway Be authentic, not performative. Themes authenticity image media influence Mood critical observational Type observation advice When to use this quote - reality TV - social media - public speaking Key Concepts social performance self-presentation Questions to Reflect On - Why do we change behavior for cameras? - What is the cost of inauthenticity? A Different Perspective Might generalize all on‑camera behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cameras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cameras/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Real life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-life/) ## Related quotes > [In the age of cellphone cameras, everybody thinks of themselves as a tracker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-forti/in-the-age-of-cellphone-cameras-everybody-thinks-of-themselves-as-a/) [Carl Forti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-forti/) > [One of the phenomenons of American political life is that it all stops one day. One day, you've got 200 reporters and cameras, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-f-mondale/one-of-the-phenomenons-of-american-political-life-is-that-it-all/) [Walter F. Mondale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-f-mondale/) > [“Nobody’s immune to physics. I don’t care how big and tough they are.” I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marko-kloos/nobody-s-immune-to-physics-i-don-t-care-how-big-and-tough-they-are-i/) [Marko Kloos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marko-kloos/) > [“I’ll have to watch what I say around you. I’ll stick to big-tough-guy words, like bullets, and barbed wire, and battleships.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivian-arend/i-ll-have-to-watch-what-i-say-around-you-i-ll-stick-to-big-tough-guy/) [Vivian Arend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivian-arend/) > [I know the first seven years of my career I thought I had to be this big tough guy. But in a world where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-e/i-know-the-first-seven-years-of-my-career-i-thought-i-had-to-be-this/) [Big E](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-e/) > [I'm used to being the big tough guy, the bodyguard type.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-clarke-duncan/i-m-used-to-being-the-big-tough-guy-the-bodyguard-type/) [Michael Clarke Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-clarke-duncan/) > [Nobody who takes on anything big and tough can afford to be modest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-welles/nobody-who-takes-on-anything-big-and-tough-can-afford-to-be-modest/) [Orson Welles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-welles/) > [I'm a big tough girl. I tie my own sandals and everything. -Meg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/disney-princess/i-m-a-big-tough-girl-i-tie-my-own-sandals-and-everything-meg/) Disney Princess > [I'll be really tough on myself. Someone will be like, 'Oh that's really cool' and I'll be like, 'Yeah, but there's this one flaw.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-kim/i-ll-be-really-tough-on-myself-someone-will-be-like-oh-that-s-really/) [Chloe Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-kim/) > [“She is tough, like a Quiner woman. She works hard and she doesn’t feel sorry for herself. At the same time she won’t let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-conway/she-is-tough-like-a-quiner-woman-she-works-hard-and-she-doesn-t-feel/) [Martha Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-conway/) > [You get tough like me and you don't get hurt. You look out for yourself and nothin' can touch you...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-get-tough-like-me-and-you-don-t-get-hurt-you-look-out-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Family’s tough. It’s like walking through a minefield, hoping you won’t get blown to bits,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/family-s-tough-it-s-like-walking-through-a-minefield-hoping-you-won-t/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [I wasn't known as a neighborhood tough or anything like that. But yeah, I was, like, a scrappy kid. You know, I kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-jenkins/i-wasn-t-known-as-a-neighborhood-tough-or-anything-like-that-but-yeah/) [Barry Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-jenkins/) > [Tough like a Ukulele.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kool-keith/tough-like-a-ukulele/) [Kool Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kool-keith/) > [Ghostface, catch the blast of a hype verse, My glock bursts, leave in a hearse, I did worse. I come rough, tough like an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ghostface-killah/ghostface-catch-the-blast-of-a-hype-verse-my-glock-bursts-leave-in-a/) [Ghostface Killah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ghostface-killah/) ## More by Erica Mena > [A lot of girls are open and willing to do whatever for whatever and don't realize that you do have control over your image…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/a-lot-of-girls-are-open-and-willing-to-do-whatever-for-whatever-and/) [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) > [I'm not afraid of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/i-m-not-afraid-of-love/) [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) > [Once they put you in like a label category it just haunts you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/once-they-put-you-in-like-a-label-category-it-just-haunts-you/) [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) > [My first car was a Rolls-Royce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/my-first-car-was-a-rolls-royce/) [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) > [I'm such a true Puerto Rican.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/i-m-such-a-true-puerto-rican/) [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) > [A lot of people bash me, but at the end of the day they don't know how much I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/a-lot-of-people-bash-me-but-at-the-end-of-the-day-they-don-t-know-how/) [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) > [I feel like people have seen me on reality TV having to fight, but at this point in my life, I deserve peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/i-feel-like-people-have-seen-me-on-reality-tv-having-to-fight-but-at/) [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) > [Remy Ma is from the Bronx and I'm from the Bronx. The stories in her music are similar to what I've experienced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/remy-ma-is-from-the-bronx-and-i-m-from-the-bronx-the-stories-in-her/) [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) > [I didn't think I'd see myself get married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/i-didn-t-think-i-d-see-myself-get-married/) [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) > [I've succeeded a lot but there's still so much to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/i-ve-succeeded-a-lot-but-there-s-still-so-much-to-do/) [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) > [I think us as women, naturally, we give more than what we get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/i-think-us-as-women-naturally-we-give-more-than-what-we-get/) [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) > [The first video that made me want to get into entertainment was Janet Jackson's 'That's The Way Love Goes.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/the-first-video-that-made-me-want-to-get-into-entertainment-was-janet/) [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) > [When you're in the public eye, me and my husband have realized that things should be kept in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/when-you-re-in-the-public-eye-me-and-my-husband-have-realized-that/) [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) > [Me and my family had our fair share of troubles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/me-and-my-family-had-our-fair-share-of-troubles/) [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) > [I don't think it's accepted naturally to be bisexual, especially as a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/i-don-t-think-it-s-accepted-naturally-to-be-bisexual-especially-as-a/) [Erica Mena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) [Explore all 63 Erica Mena quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/) ## More Big quotes > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [I always want to do a big finale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yuh-nelson/i-always-want-to-do-a-big-finale/) [Jennifer Yuh Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-yuh-nelson/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. I didn't want to use big pad chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midge-ure/so-i-concentrated-on-the-rhythmic-side-of-things-and-therefore-left-a/) [Midge Ure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midge-ure/) > [I think a big part of success in football is mental, not physical. How you are inside your head matters more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iker-casillas/i-think-a-big-part-of-success-in-football-is-mental-not-physical-how/) [Iker Casillas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iker-casillas/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [Making sure that people have access to preventive medicine for the first time ever as a nation? That's a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/making-sure-that-people-have-access-to-preventive-medicine-for-the/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [What I know about Ali Krieger is no moment is ever going to be too big for her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-ellis/what-i-know-about-ali-krieger-is-no-moment-is-ever-going-to-be-too/) [Jill Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-ellis/) Browse all 12,477 Big quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I can't specify this enough: when cameras go on, everybody wanna be big and tough. You're not like that in real life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Erica Mena" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/i-can-t-specify-this-enough-when-cameras-go-on-everybody-wanna-be-big/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/i-can-t-specify-this-enough-when-cameras-go-on-everybody-wanna-be-big/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/erica-mena-10891_big_i-can-t-specify-this-enough-when-cameras_1074372.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/erica-mena-10891_big_i-can-t-specify-this-enough-when-cameras_1074372.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/erica-mena-10891_big_i-can-t-specify-this-enough-when-cameras_1074372.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I can't specify this enough: when cameras go on, everybody wanna be big and tough. You're not like that in…” — Erica Mena", "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": "Erica Mena", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-mena/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I can't specify this enough: when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/i-can-t-specify-this-enough-when-cameras-go-on-everybody-wanna-be-big/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-mena/i-can-t-specify-this-enough-when-cameras-go-on-everybody-wanna-be-big/#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 } } ] } ```