--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I thought as an actress I would be able…" description: "\"I thought as an actress I would be able to have broader emotional experiences, but then I quickly figured out that I wanted to think about tragic drama..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec7/martha-nussbaum-4759_about_i-thought-as-an-actress-i-would-be-able_3154247.jpg" --- # I thought as an actress I would be able to have broader… ![“I thought as an actress I would be able to have broader emotional experiences, but then I quickly figured out that I wanted to think about tragic dramas, not act in them.” quote by Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec7/martha-nussbaum-4759_about_i-thought-as-an-actress-i-would-be-able_3154247.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec7/martha-nussbaum-4759_about_i-thought-as-an-actress-i-would-be-able_3154247.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec7/martha-nussbaum-4759_about_i-thought-as-an-actress-i-would-be-able_3154247.jpg) > “I thought as an actress I would be able to have broader emotional experiences, but then I quickly figured out that I wanted to think about tragic dramas, not act in them.” [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting can be limiting; she prefers contemplating tragedy over performing it. **In simple terms:** She values intellectual engagement over performance. Key Takeaway Seek depth through reflection, not just experience. Themes art philosophy emotions career choice Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical personal When to use this quote - theatre work - academic research - personal development - creative writing Key Concepts existentialism emotional intelligence creative expression Questions to Reflect On - What does tragedy teach us beyond performance? - Can contemplation replace lived emotion? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on thought may isolate from lived experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Actress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actress/) [Broader Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broader-emotional-5676347/) [Dramas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dramas/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [Emotional Experiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional-experiences-291446/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think Tragic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-tragic-608514/) [Thought Actress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-actress-697947/) [Tragic Dramas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragic-dramas-3151994/) ## Related quotes > [Spring blossoms are fairy tales, autumn leaves are tragic dramas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/spring-blossoms-are-fairy-tales-autumn-leaves-are-tragic-dramas/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Some guys lay their fannies out there every night - they play the game at such a high level, and they give so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-west/some-guys-lay-their-fannies-out-there-every-night-they-play-the-game/) [Jerry West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-west/) > [I think when tragic things happen it is on surface. It is like the ocean. One the surface a waves and sometimes the wave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/i-think-when-tragic-things-happen-it-is-on-surface-it-is-like-the/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [I think the tragic feeling is invoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/i-think-the-tragic-feeling-is-invoked-in-us-when-we-are-in-the/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [I think that there is a tragic misfit at the core of me, and I've just done a lot of work on myself. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gisele-bundchen/i-ve-been-doing-my-job-for-a-long-time-and-i-never-really-thought/) [Gisele Bundchen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gisele-bundchen/) > [The thing I always thought of myself as was an actress. I never thought: 'I want to be.' It was always: 'I am.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-squibb/the-thing-i-always-thought-of-myself-as-was-an-actress-i-never/) [June Squibb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-squibb/) ## More by Martha Nussbaum > [I worked among many famous philosophers, and I tried to observe how they treated students. 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They like to seize control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/people-and-i-think-this-is-particularly-true-of-americans-don-t-like/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [Fear and monarchy pair nicely. But democracy means you have to work with people you may not like but you must still believe are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/fear-and-monarchy-pair-nicely-but-democracy-means-you-have-to-work/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [You have to connect your work to what people are doing. 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As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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