--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I would knock about the town in…" description: "\"When I would knock about the town in London, I was doing it with my head down, walking very quickly and it had become the norm for me because I'm recog..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a33/ewan-mcgregor-2364_british_when-i-would-knock-about-the-town-in-lon_2781029.jpg" --- # When I would knock about the town in London, I was doing… ![“When I would knock about the town in London, I was doing it with my head down, walking very quickly and it had become the norm for me because I'm recognized there. And people are not unkind but occasionally there's a sort of British who do you think you are sort of, I don't really think I'm…” quote by Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a33/ewan-mcgregor-2364_british_when-i-would-knock-about-the-town-in-lon_2781029.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a33/ewan-mcgregor-2364_british_when-i-would-knock-about-the-town-in-lon_2781029.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a33/ewan-mcgregor-2364_british_when-i-would-knock-about-the-town-in-lon_2781029.jpg) > “When I would knock about the town in London, I was doing it with my head down, walking very quickly and it had become the norm for me because I'm recognized there. And people are not unkind but occasionally there's a sort of British who do you think you are sort of, I don't really think I'm anybody. I just go about my normal day. But sometimes you're faced with that.” [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes feeling anonymous in London, confronting assumptions about identity and modesty. **In simple terms:** He feels unnoticed and modest in a big city. Key Takeaway Own your identity despite anonymity. Themes identity modesty social perception Mood introspective humble Type personal social When to use this quote - daily commuting - public appearances Key Concepts urban life celebrity culture Questions to Reflect On - How do you assert yourself in crowds? - What does anonymity teach you? A Different Perspective Anonymity can limit opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/london/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I write drama in the English language. If I wasn't working in London I'd be doing something wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-monahan/i-write-drama-in-the-english-language-if-i-wasn-t-working-in-london-i/) [William Monahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-monahan/) > [I'm just a very normal person, living in north London, doing my best for my area and to put forward some serious debate on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/i-m-just-a-very-normal-person-living-in-north-london-doing-my-best/) [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) > [That's been one of the best things about doing 'Game of Thrones.' 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Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/im-nothing/i-feel-like-crying-i-feel-like-dieing-why-wont-this-feeling-just-go/) Im Nothing > [It's hard to maintain a life when you do a play. You feel you have to pretend to go through a normal day, knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/it-s-hard-to-maintain-a-life-when-you-do-a-play-you-feel-you-have-to/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [Sunday was the normal day for the political awareness session at sea. Ordinarily Putin would have officiated, reading some Pravada editorials, followed by selected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/sunday-was-the-normal-day-for-the-political-awareness-session-at-sea/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [“It’s true, though, that we struggled to stay on message. My advisors had to deal with a candidate—me—who often wanted something new to say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/it-s-true-though-that-we-struggled-to-stay-on-message-my-advisors-had/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) ## More by Ewan McGregor > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I don't want to make decisions about what I'm going to do before I'm doing it because I base my acting off my partner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-don-t-want-to-make-decisions-about-what-i-m-going-to-do-before-i-m/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I wanted to be an actor since I was nine years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-since-i-was-nine-years-old/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I've got a black woolen hat and it's got Pervert written across the front of it. It's the name of the clothing label. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-ve-got-a-black-woolen-hat-and-it-s-got-pervert-written-across-the/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [There is some really good crack when I come back here. This is where I learned to swear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/there-is-some-really-good-crack-when-i-come-back-here-this-is-where-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I think if you're going on thinking oh, I can do this with my eyes shut, then it's probably not the right thing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-think-if-you-re-going-on-thinking-oh-i-can-do-this-with-my-eyes/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I was nine years old when I made up my mind that that was what I definitely wanted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-was-nine-years-old-when-i-made-up-my-mind-that-that-was-what-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I was born in '71, so I remember bits of glam rock on 'Top of the Pops' toward the late '70s, but I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-was-born-in-71-so-i-remember-bits-of-glam-rock-on-top-of-the-pops/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I'm sometimes asked 'Can you lose the accent?'and I say 'No, but I can put on another one'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-m-sometimes-asked-can-you-lose-the-accent-and-i-say-no-but-i-can/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I've never worked with an acting coach, no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-ve-never-worked-with-an-acting-coach-no/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I especially love my Moto Guzzi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-especially-love-my-moto-guzzi/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I've never found acting that difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-ve-never-found-acting-that-difficult/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I love skiing, scuba diving and hang-gliding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-skiing-scuba-diving-and-hang-gliding/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [There's something that happens where you go, if you're lucky, goodness me, from film to another film to another film. And you can sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/there-s-something-that-happens-where-you-go-if-you-re-lucky-goodness/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I don't care about Oscars. It's such self-aggrandizing nonsense. It's a way to manipulate people into believing that their choices are what's good. 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I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) > [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/) [Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/) > [Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-i-don-t-have-anything-against-people-from-other-countries/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [While we like to think queueing is unique to British culture, the truth is that we are mere amateurs. 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