--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing is, to try to talk about a…" description: "\"The thing is, to try to talk about a performance that will never be seen again, that was only lived by the people there, it's kind of like telling some..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/john-buffalo-mailer-14345_dream_the-thing-is-to-try-to-talk-about-a-perf_1277103.jpg" --- # The thing is, to try to talk about a performance that will… ![“The thing is, to try to talk about a performance that will never be seen again, that was only lived by the people there, it's kind of like telling somebody about your dream. You know if they love you they'll listen and smile, but they can't really get it, so there is a certain infinite quality to…” quote by John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/john-buffalo-mailer-14345_dream_the-thing-is-to-try-to-talk-about-a-perf_1277103.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/john-buffalo-mailer-14345_dream_the-thing-is-to-try-to-talk-about-a-perf_1277103.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/john-buffalo-mailer-14345_dream_the-thing-is-to-try-to-talk-about-a-perf_1277103.jpg) > “The thing is, to try to talk about a performance that will never be seen again, that was only lived by the people there, it's kind of like telling somebody about your dream. You know if they love you they'll listen and smile, but they can't really get it, so there is a certain infinite quality to film that is nice. You do the work and you know it's always going to be there. The flip side is if you do bad work it's always going to be there.” [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He compares describing unseen performances to sharing dreams, noting film’s lasting presence, good or bad. **In simple terms:** Film keeps work forever, like sharing a dream. Key Takeaway Create work that endures positively. Themes art legacy communication impermanence Mood analytical contemplative Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - film criticism - creative process - archival work - public reception Key Concepts memory infinite quality Questions to Reflect On - How does permanence affect artistic risk? - Can bad work be redeemed? A Different Perspective Bad work also persists, risking reputation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) ## Related quotes > [I think if it is written well, it really doesn't matter what the genre is and what it is all about as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arshad-warsi/i-think-if-it-is-written-well-it-really-doesn-t-matter-what-the-genre/) [Arshad Warsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arshad-warsi/) > [One thing I learned is that people don't care if you go out there and play hurt. They're always going to talk about your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-correa/one-thing-i-learned-is-that-people-don-t-care-if-you-go-out-there-and/) [Carlos Correa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-correa/) > [I like telling the story in a visual way. I don't like explaining a lot in dialogue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/i-like-telling-the-story-in-a-visual-way-i-don-t-like-explaining-a/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [My life isn't very racy or exciting so I make things up, tell stories. I like telling stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-stansfield/my-life-isn-t-very-racy-or-exciting-so-i-make-things-up-tell-stories/) [Lisa Stansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-stansfield/) > [Trying to describe what I do in prayer would be like telling the world how I make love to my wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trying-to-describe-what-i-do-in-prayer-would-be-like-telling-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It sounds trite, but I like telling stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/it-sounds-trite-but-i-like-telling-stories/) [Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/) > [Some people don't like telling the truth... And some people can't handle hearing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-people-don-t-like-telling-the-truth-and-some-people-can-t-handle/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The mere telling of how a need was met is often like telling of a need, which is asking crookedly instead of straight out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/the-mere-telling-of-how-a-need-was-met-is-often-like-telling-of-a/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [I like telling people the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-revel-horwood/i-like-telling-people-the-truth/) [Craig Revel Horwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-revel-horwood/) > [Playing guitar is like telling the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-king/playing-guitar-is-like-telling-the-truth/) [B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/) > [I keep everything very simple. 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There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/i-think-that-if-you-look-at-places-like-amsterdam-and-places-where/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) > [I just I love telling stories and as long as I can make my living doing that in all the different mediums that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/i-just-i-love-telling-stories-and-as-long-as-i-can-make-my-living/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) > [I think that you know you have experts in fields who spend their life studying one thing. When an event goes on that chances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/i-think-that-you-know-you-have-experts-in-fields-who-spend-their-life/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) > [It's a certain kind of human compact that obviously you lose as soon as there is a screen and a camera there, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/it-s-a-certain-kind-of-human-compact-that-obviously-you-lose-as-soon/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) > [I think about the college graduating classes and high school classes that are coming up now they're in a unique position. I mean they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/i-think-about-the-college-graduating-classes-and-high-school-classes/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) > [What's against legalization in a practical sense? 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You know, we're tweeting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/we-ve-been-duped-into-believing-we-don-t-have-25-minutes-to-have/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) > [My father, Norman Mailer, expected a lot from us and he really pushed us and you know one of his favorite lines was, "If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/my-father-norman-mailer-expected-a-lot-from-us-and-he-really-pushed/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) > [Whatever the reasons, 2008 it felt as though the combination of distribution models starting to tighten and the publishing and film and music industries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/whatever-the-reasons-2008-it-felt-as-though-the-combination-of/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) > [My hope is that the film Wall Street 2 will actually serve as a way for us to bridge that gap between Wall Street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/my-hope-is-that-the-film-wall-street-2-will-actually-serve-as-a-way/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) > [You're going to find the good people and bad all around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/you-re-going-to-find-the-good-people-and-bad-all-around/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) > [I think that one of the things that my dad was grappling with towards the end was how that shift had happened now and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/i-think-that-one-of-the-things-that-my-dad-was-grappling-with-towards/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) > [I'm probably most proud of the plays that I've written just because as the playwright, you know, you're God. You get to do everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/i-m-probably-most-proud-of-the-plays-that-i-ve-written-just-because/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) > [I remember talking to my dad about legalization in a book we did together called "The Big Empty." He was saying like, "Oh, no,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/i-remember-talking-to-my-dad-about-legalization-in-a-book-we-did/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) [Explore all 47 John Buffalo Mailer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The thing is, to try to talk about a performance that will never be seen again, that was only lived by the people there, it's kind of like telling somebody about your dream. You know if they love you they'll listen and smile, but they can't really get it, so there is a certain infinite quality to film that is nice. You do the work and you know it's always going to be there. 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