--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being a doctor has taught me a lot about…" description: "\"Being a doctor has taught me a lot about directing. You're doing the same thing: You're reconstructing the manifold of behavior to the point where an a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/jonathan-miller-21525_directing_being-a-doctor-has-taught-me-a-lot-about_698137.jpg" --- # Being a doctor has taught me a lot about directing. You're… ![“Being a doctor has taught me a lot about directing. You're doing the same thing: You're reconstructing the manifold of behavior to the point where an audience says, yes, that's exactly like people I know.” quote by Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/jonathan-miller-21525_directing_being-a-doctor-has-taught-me-a-lot-about_698137.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/jonathan-miller-21525_directing_being-a-doctor-has-taught-me-a-lot-about_698137.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/jonathan-miller-21525_directing_being-a-doctor-has-taught-me-a-lot-about_698137.jpg) > “Being a doctor has taught me a lot about directing. You're doing the same thing: You're reconstructing the manifold of behavior to the point where an audience says, yes, that's exactly like people I know.” [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote likens directing to a doctor diagnosing and reshaping behavior, aiming for audience recognition of authentic human patterns. **In simple terms:** Directing is like diagnosing behavior to make it feel real to viewers. Key Takeaway Make characters feel authentically human. Themes directing psychology authenticity Mood reflective inspired Type advice creative professional When to use this quote - theater production - film directing - character development - workshop training Key Concepts behavioral reconstruction audience perception human empathy Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure authenticity without over‑directing? - What techniques reveal genuine behavior? A Different Perspective Audience may still perceive characters as artificial despite effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) ## Related quotes > [It doesn't matter who's directing, or who's doing the movie; there are a ton of things that can go wrong, and they do all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-hauer/it-doesn-t-matter-who-s-directing-or-who-s-doing-the-movie-there-are/) [Rutger Hauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-hauer/) > [When you're the guy behind the camera, you're aware of the reasons for the compromises or the changes that get made. 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Wonder if your future boyfriend/girlfriend is doing the same thing you are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-arent-the-only-one-sitting-home-alone-on-a-saturday-night-wonder/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I chose a career in the kitchen because the thought of sitting and doing the same thing every day and being stationary was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-tosi/i-chose-a-career-in-the-kitchen-because-the-thought-of-sitting-and/) [Christina Tosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-tosi/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) ## More by Jonathan Miller > [I'm not against asking the audience to work, but I think what you have now is a sort of gratuitous deconstruction as a result…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/i-m-not-against-asking-the-audience-to-work-but-i-think-what-you-have/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) > [It's usually the people that are most obsessed with being in a relationship that are the least prepared to make work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/it-s-usually-the-people-that-are-most-obsessed-with-being-in-a/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) > [I'm not really a Jew; just Jew-ish, not the whole hog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/i-m-not-really-a-jew-just-jew-ish-not-the-whole-hog/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) > [Errors of taste are very often the outward sign of a deep fault of sensibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/errors-of-taste-are-very-often-the-outward-sign-of-a-deep-fault-of/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) > [The burden of the past is only, I think, oppressive when you've got to go on the experience of the avant garde.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/the-burden-of-the-past-is-only-i-think-oppressive-when-you-ve-got-to/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) > [Science is a self-sufficient activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/science-is-a-self-sufficient-activity/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) > [Someone like Einstein was quite clearly a moralist, and he had a very highly developed political vision and was very spiritual in his way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/someone-like-einstein-was-quite-clearly-a-moralist-and-he-had-a-very/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) > [As we know from the work of certain fundamental physicists, people like Einstein were very dependent upon conjuring up visual images in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/as-we-know-from-the-work-of-certain-fundamental-physicists-people/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) > [I wasn't driven into medicine by a social conscience but by rampant curiosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/i-wasn-t-driven-into-medicine-by-a-social-conscience-but-by-rampant/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) > [“I was just rather fascinated by certain what seemed to me insoluble paradoxes about reflection, about what it was like to look in one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/i-was-just-rather-fascinated-by-certain-what-seemed-to-me-insoluble/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) > [It's not that Shakespeare is frivolous, but you spend your time just getting people to dress up in other people's costumes and pretending to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/it-s-not-that-shakespeare-is-frivolous-but-you-spend-your-time-just/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) > [People can't draw now and don't feel it's necessary. Art students don't seem to want to draw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/people-can-t-draw-now-and-don-t-feel-it-s-necessary-art-students-don/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) > [People are already self-selected by the time they've decided to become scientists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/people-are-already-self-selected-by-the-time-they-ve-decided-to/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) > [The foyer at Covent Garden looks like Harrods food hall has offered up its dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/the-foyer-at-covent-garden-looks-like-harrods-food-hall-has-offered/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) > [I spend a lot of my time trying to draw the attention of actors to the minute and subtle details of human behavior, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/i-spend-a-lot-of-my-time-trying-to-draw-the-attention-of-actors-to/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) [Explore all 29 Jonathan Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) ## More Directing quotes > [Anybody can direct a picture once they know the fundamentals. Directing is not a mystery, it's not an art. The main thing about directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ford/anybody-can-direct-a-picture-once-they-know-the-fundamentals/) [John Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ford/) > [“I was ambitious and desperate to direct my first film, so I capitulated and blew it. Never again. Never fucking again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-was-ambitious-and-desperate-to-direct-my-first-film-so-i/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [That's what I learned most about directing on my own - you've got to build a family, a filmmaking family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/that-s-what-i-learned-most-about-directing-on-my-own-you-ve-got-to/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [I took on the role of CEO, which involves directing the Management Team and overall day-to-day operations of 500.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-tsai/i-took-on-the-role-of-ceo-which-involves-directing-the-management/) [Christine Tsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-tsai/) > [Steven Spielberg seems to have wanted to be a director from 13. He put his dog in a certain position and made him eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/steven-spielberg-seems-to-have-wanted-to-be-a-director-from-13-he-put/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [When I see my movies on the editing table, I do think I could have done them a certain way. The satisfaction is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-nadiadwala/when-i-see-my-movies-on-the-editing-table-i-do-think-i-could-have/) [Sajid Nadiadwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-nadiadwala/) > [For me the dream is the freedom to make all the crazy ideas I have in my head into movies. I truly love directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-ozeki/for-me-the-dream-is-the-freedom-to-make-all-the-crazy-ideas-i-have-in/) [Nicholas Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-ozeki/) > [The producing thing has come quite naturally to me. I feel like for directing, I would like to be more technically-savvy. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/the-producing-thing-has-come-quite-naturally-to-me-i-feel-like-for/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [I'm addicted to directing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-shankman/i-m-addicted-to-directing/) [Adam Shankman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-shankman/) > [Making a movie and not directing the little moments is like drinking a soda and leaving the little slurp puddle for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/making-a-movie-and-not-directing-the-little-moments-is-like-drinking/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Directing films is easier said than done. The job needs a lot of sensibility to put many things in place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-sethupathi/directing-films-is-easier-said-than-done-the-job-needs-a-lot-of/) [Vijay Sethupathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-sethupathi/) > [I starred in a Broadway play that was Sidney Poitier's first directing job and the cast was Lou Gossett, Cicely Tyson, Diana Ladd and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steinberg/i-starred-in-a-broadway-play-that-was-sidney-poitier-s-first/) [David Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steinberg/) > [I don't get nervous when I'm directing a play. It's not like acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-seymour-hoffman/i-don-t-get-nervous-when-i-m-directing-a-play-it-s-not-like-acting/) [Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-seymour-hoffman/) > [My dad's a prominent theatre director in Toronto, so I grew up in that world, directing and producing theater since I was a teenager.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-gass-donnelly/my-dad-s-a-prominent-theatre-director-in-toronto-so-i-grew-up-in-that/) [Ed Gass-Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-gass-donnelly/) > [The hardest part about directing is getting everyone on the same page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-marshall/the-hardest-part-about-directing-is-getting-everyone-on-the-same-page/) [Rob Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-marshall/) Browse all 1,163 Directing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Being a doctor has taught me a lot about directing. 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