--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only thing you owe the public is a…" description: "\"The only thing you owe the public is a good performance.\" — Humphrey Bogart" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/282/humphrey-bogart-9675_good_the-only-thing-you-owe-the-public-is-a-g_2764242.jpg" --- # The only thing you owe the public is a good performance. ![“The only thing you owe the public is a good performance.” quote by Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/282/humphrey-bogart-9675_good_the-only-thing-you-owe-the-public-is-a-g_2764242.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/282/humphrey-bogart-9675_good_the-only-thing-you-owe-the-public-is-a-g_2764242.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/282/humphrey-bogart-9675_good_the-only-thing-you-owe-the-public-is-a-g_2764242.jpg) > “The only thing you owe the public is a good performance.” [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A performer’s duty is to give the audience their best work, not personal grievances. **In simple terms:** Give the public your best performance. Key Takeaway Prioritize excellence over ego. Themes performance public duty professionalism Mood determined responsible Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - Stage shows - live broadcasts - public speaking - sports events Key Concepts Artistic integrity audience expectation Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal needs with public expectations? - What does “good performance” mean to you? A Different Perspective Neglecting personal well‑being can harm performance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance/) [Public good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-good/) ## Related quotes > [All you owe the public is a good performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/all-you-owe-the-public-is-a-good-performance/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [At the end day, the only thing I owe the public is great entertainment, to respect my fans everywhere I go and to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bow-wow/at-the-end-day-the-only-thing-i-owe-the-public-is-great-entertainment/) [Bow Wow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bow-wow/) > [I owe the public just one thing - a good performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-gibson/i-owe-the-public-just-one-thing-a-good-performance/) [Bob Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-gibson/) > [I'm an actor; I have made my living by acting, and I almost think I owe it to the public to express my feelings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/i-m-an-actor-i-have-made-my-living-by-acting-and-i-almost-think-i-owe/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [If your heart, head and gut are telling you the same thing, then you owe it to yourself to chase it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-blucas/if-your-heart-head-and-gut-are-telling-you-the-same-thing-then-you/) [Marc Blucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-blucas/) > [You want to put on a good performance for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-hood/you-want-to-put-on-a-good-performance-for-yourself/) [Rodney Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-hood/) > [You're only as good as your last performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-williams/you-re-only-as-good-as-your-last-performance/) [Wendy Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-williams/) > [When I'm on the pitch, I just want to give as good a performance as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-welbeck/when-i-m-on-the-pitch-i-just-want-to-give-as-good-a-performance-as/) [Danny Welbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-welbeck/) > [All good performance starts with clear goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-blanchard/all-good-performance-starts-with-clear-goals/) [Ken Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-blanchard/) > [Good performance is about what you take in, not what you put out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livingston-taylor/good-performance-is-about-what-you-take-in-not-what-you-put-out/) Livingston Taylor > [If there's a strange way to do something, I would certainly like to know about it. I feel that I owe that to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/if-there-s-a-strange-way-to-do-something-i-would-certainly-like-to/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [I owe the public a good performance, the best I can give. We really bust our chops on 'CHiPs' but when I go home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilcox/i-owe-the-public-a-good-performance-the-best-i-can-give-we-really/) [Larry Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilcox/) > [I give everything I have to give on the screen. I feel I don't owe the public anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-beart/i-give-everything-i-have-to-give-on-the-screen-i-feel-i-don-t-owe-the/) [Emmanuelle Beart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-beart/) > [“You owe it to your public to remain fuckable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leddick/you-owe-it-to-your-public-to-remain-fuckable/) [David Leddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leddick/) > [A great physique and a good performance make for a delicious combination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonu-sood/a-great-physique-and-a-good-performance-make-for-a-delicious/) [Sonu Sood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonu-sood/) ## More by Humphrey Bogart > [I came out here with one suit and everybody said I looked like a bum. Twenty years later Marlon Brando came out with only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/i-came-out-here-with-one-suit-and-everybody-said-i-looked-like-a-bum/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [I don't hurt the industry. The industry hurts itself, by making so many lousy movies - as if General Motors deliberately put out a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/i-don-t-hurt-the-industry-the-industry-hurts-itself-by-making-so-many/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [An actor needs something to stabilize his personality, something to nail down what he really is, not what he is currently pretending to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/an-actor-needs-something-to-stabilize-his-personality-something-to/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [(On Ingrid Bergman) "I didn't do anything I've never done before, but when the camera moves in on that Bergman face, and she's saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/on-ingrid-bergman-i-didn-t-do-anything-i-ve-never-done-before-but/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [You're not a star until they can spell your name in Karachi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/you-re-not-a-star-until-they-can-spell-your-name-in-karachi/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [On the House Un-American Activities Committee: They'll nail anyone who ever scratched his ass during the National Anthem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/on-the-house-un-american-activities-committee-they-ll-nail-anyone-who/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [If a face like Ingrid Bergman's looks at you as though you're adorable, everybody does. You don't have to act very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/if-a-face-like-ingrid-bergman-s-looks-at-you-as-though-you-re/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [The problem with this world is, everyone in it is 3 drinks behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/the-problem-with-this-world-is-everyone-in-it-is-3-drinks-behind/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [A hot dog at the game beats roast beef at the Ritz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/a-hot-dog-at-the-game-beats-roast-beef-at-the-ritz/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [the problems of three little people in a big world don't add up to much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/the-problems-of-three-little-people-in-a-big-world-don-t-add-up-to/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [ It's a good thing \[James\] Dean died when he did. If he'd lived, he'd never have been able to live up to the publicity. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/it-s-a-good-thing-james-dean-died-when-he-did-if-he-d-lived-he-d/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/the-problem-with-the-world-is-that-everyone-is-a-few-drinks-behind/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [“A hotdog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/a-hotdog-at-the-ballgame-beats-roast-beef-at-the-ritz/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [The only point in making money is, you can tell some big shot where to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/the-only-point-in-making-money-is-you-can-tell-some-big-shot-where-to/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [Everybody has something to conceal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/everybody-has-something-to-conceal/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) [Explore all 71 Humphrey Bogart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) ## More Good quotes > [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. 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