--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It doesn't matter what I think I am, it…" description: "\"It doesn't matter what I think I am, it matters what I do.\" — Julian Schnabel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/julian-schnabel-9809_matter_it-doesn-t-matter-what-i-think-i-am-it-m_2656048.jpg" --- # It doesn't matter what I think I am, it matters what I do. ![“It doesn't matter what I think I am, it matters what I do.” quote by Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/julian-schnabel-9809_matter_it-doesn-t-matter-what-i-think-i-am-it-m_2656048.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/julian-schnabel-9809_matter_it-doesn-t-matter-what-i-think-i-am-it-m_2656048.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/julian-schnabel-9809_matter_it-doesn-t-matter-what-i-think-i-am-it-m_2656048.jpg) > “It doesn't matter what I think I am, it matters what I do.” [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actions define identity more than self‑perception; deeds matter over thoughts. **In simple terms:** What you do matters more than what you think you are. Key Takeaway Focus on meaningful actions. Themes identity action self‑concept Mood reflective determined Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - career decisions - personal development - community service - habit formation Key Concepts philosophical existentialism practical ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do you align actions with values? - What steps can you take to act more authentically? A Different Perspective Self‑image can still influence motivation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doesn Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doesn-matter/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Matter Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter-think-341844/) [Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matters/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-matters-469270/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [What others think of you doesn't matter, but what you think of yourself does matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/what-others-think-of-you-doesn-t-matter-but-what-you-think-of/) [SONYA PARKER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [I don't care what other people think. I don't think it matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-malkovich/i-don-t-care-what-other-people-think-i-don-t-think-it-matters/) [John Malkovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-malkovich/) > [It doesn't matter if they say you can't do it. It only matters if you say you can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/it-doesn-t-matter-if-they-say-you-can-t-do-it-it-only-matters-if-you/) [Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/) > [It doesn't matter what others think - because that's what they will think, in any case. So, relax. Let the universe move about. Discover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-doesn-t-matter-what-others-think-because-that-s-what-they-will/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It doesn't matter how much we see each other, but how much we think of each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/it-doesn-t-matter-how-much-we-see-each-other-but-how-much-we-think-of/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [Everything is more or less organized matter. To think so is against religion, but I think so just the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/everything-is-more-or-less-organized-matter-to-think-so-is-against/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [“Sometimes I think it is a great mistake to have matter that can think and feel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/sometimes-i-think-it-is-a-great-mistake-to-have-matter-that-can-think-2/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [The truth of the matter is, when you think about it, we all make mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-smith/the-truth-of-the-matter-is-when-you-think-about-it-we-all-make/) [Judy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-smith/) > [No matter what you think-life goes on and the world still turns and the universe has its own story. The most we can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/no-matter-what-you-think-life-goes-on-and-the-world-still-turns-and/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Sometimes I think it is a great mistake to have matter that can think and feel. It complains so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/sometimes-i-think-it-is-a-great-mistake-to-have-matter-that-can-think/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I like the feeling that I'm vital, that I matter on my own and not because of what others think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-leavitt/i-like-the-feeling-that-i-m-vital-that-i-matter-on-my-own-and-not/) [Lindsey Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-leavitt/) > [“It really doesnt matter what you think of God but what God thinks of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-pals/it-really-doesnt-matter-what-you-think-of-god-but-what-god-thinks-of/) [Kyle Pals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-pals/) > [Truth is truth no matter what I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-d/truth-is-truth-no-matter-what-i-think/) [Chuck D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-d/) > [“If I think it’s true, no matter why or how I think it’s true, then it’s true, and nobody can tell me otherwise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-andersen/if-i-think-it-s-true-no-matter-why-or-how-i-think-it-s-true-then-it-s/) [Kurt Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-andersen/) > [The pressure is always there. So it doesn't matter, I think, how many titles you have, it's never enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrey-rublev/the-pressure-is-always-there-so-it-doesn-t-matter-i-think-how-many/) [Andrey Rublev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrey-rublev/) ## More by Julian Schnabel > [I want the paintings to take me or the viewer out somewhere else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-want-the-paintings-to-take-me-or-the-viewer-out-somewhere-else/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [I don't think my paintings are self-conscious but you feel the consciousness of them. Without them being self-conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-don-t-think-my-paintings-are-self-conscious-but-you-feel-the/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [Maybe my work looks a little crazy, a little insane, but I don't really see myself as a crazy artist or a shaman artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/maybe-my-work-looks-a-little-crazy-a-little-insane-but-i-don-t-really/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [I was always very... impatient about showing my paintings to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-was-always-very-impatient-about-showing-my-paintings-to-people/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [I think beauty is a feeling that you get after you've had an experience. It's the way you feel about it that is beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-think-beauty-is-a-feeling-that-you-get-after-you-ve-had-an/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [I wanted to show painting paintings first, then the plate paintings; now I can show that I've sort of freed myself from stylistic inhibitions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-wanted-to-show-painting-paintings-first-then-the-plate-paintings/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [Painting is like breathing to me. It’s what I do all the time. Every day I make art, whether it is painting, writing or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/painting-is-like-breathing-to-me-it-s-what-i-do-all-the-time-every/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [Sometimes I'll dream that I saw a show and then I'll wake up in the morning and realize that I didn't see the show,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/sometimes-i-ll-dream-that-i-saw-a-show-and-then-i-ll-wake-up-in-the/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [My early paintings weren't that good - I was very influenced by Francis Bacon. But there was a kind of intensity there. And however…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/my-early-paintings-weren-t-that-good-i-was-very-influenced-by-francis/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [I don't know if I could, like, see a face and know what the face of beauty looks like, but after I've seen it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-don-t-know-if-i-could-like-see-a-face-and-know-what-the-face-of/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [Paintings are not like the Internet. They're not like movies. They're not electronic-friendly. You have to go see them. You have to stand in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/paintings-are-not-like-the-internet-they-re-not-like-movies-they-re/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [There's been too much attention on marketing. Can't we just talk about the paintings?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/there-s-been-too-much-attention-on-marketing-can-t-we-just-talk-about/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [When art is really great, it's really powerful, can really do something to you, make you feel more alive and make you feel more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/when-art-is-really-great-it-s-really-powerful-can-really-do-something/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [If I hung one of my paintings next to someone else's, I knew mine would kind of pop off the wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/if-i-hung-one-of-my-paintings-next-to-someone-else-s-i-knew-mine/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [Traditionally, photography is supposed to capture an event that has passed; but that is not what I'm looking for. Photography brings the past into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/traditionally-photography-is-supposed-to-capture-an-event-that-has/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) [Explore all 70 Julian Schnabel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) ## More Matter quotes > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. 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Those documents cover 109,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/we-released-400-000-classified-documents-the-most-extraordinary/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [I think everyone will agree that it doesn't matter how we get to an international tournament. We are going to do whatever it takes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcginn/i-think-everyone-will-agree-that-it-doesn-t-matter-how-we-get-to-an/) [John McGinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcginn/) > [“Which people take the time to care for their souls, these days? I reckon not many. 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