--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For a long time, I can't say I was one…" description: "\"For a long time, I can't say I was one who really enjoyed acting. I was always censoring it, or editing it, or analyzing it, rather than just going wit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/michael-douglas-2539_acting_for-a-long-time-i-can-t-say-i-was-one-wh_1600845.jpg" --- # For a long time, I can't say I was one who really enjoyed… ![“For a long time, I can't say I was one who really enjoyed acting. I was always censoring it, or editing it, or analyzing it, rather than just going with it.” quote by Michael Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/michael-douglas-2539_acting_for-a-long-time-i-can-t-say-i-was-one-wh_1600845.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/michael-douglas-2539_acting_for-a-long-time-i-can-t-say-i-was-one-wh_1600845.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/michael-douglas-2539_acting_for-a-long-time-i-can-t-say-i-was-one-wh_1600845.jpg) > “For a long time, I can't say I was one who really enjoyed acting. I was always censoring it, or editing it, or analyzing it, rather than just going with it.” [Michael Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He struggled with self‑censorship, over‑analyzing instead of freely acting. **In simple terms:** He edited himself instead of acting naturally. Key Takeaway Allow instinct to guide actions. Themes self‑censorship acting self‑analysis Mood thoughtful hesitant Type inspirational self‑help When to use this quote - acting - public speaking - personal expression - decision making Key Concepts psychology creativity Questions to Reflect On - What blocks your spontaneous expression? - How can you balance analysis with action? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can lead to paralysis, not improvement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [After I did television, I just felt I didn't have any more to give to the medium. 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I love storytelling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-stanford/my-life-has-been-the-antithesis-of-that-book-the-secret-i-ve-always/) [Aaron Stanford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-stanford/) > [I always wanted to be an actor ever since I was a little kid. I knew that I had to do something related to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranveer-singh/i-always-wanted-to-be-an-actor-ever-since-i-was-a-little-kid-i-knew/) [Ranveer Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranveer-singh/) > [I've always enjoyed acting, but there's a part of me that's shied away from living a celebrity life. I don't feel comfortable being noticed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-tyler/i-ve-always-enjoyed-acting-but-there-s-a-part-of-me-that-s-shied-away/) [Liv Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-tyler/) > [It was the most fun I've ever had on a movie. It was one of the happiest times in my life. I was living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-rourke/it-was-the-most-fun-i-ve-ever-had-on-a-movie-it-was-one-of-the/) [Mickey Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-rourke/) > [I did a play called Throne of Straw when I was 11, at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles. It became really clear to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiefer-sutherland/i-did-a-play-called-throne-of-straw-when-i-was-11-at-the-odyssey/) [Kiefer Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiefer-sutherland/) > [I've always enjoyed acting. When we were younger, my sisters and I would put on plays for our parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-williams/i-ve-always-enjoyed-acting-when-we-were-younger-my-sisters-and-i/) [Serena Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-williams/) > [I enjoyed acting and marveled that one could get paid for doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fell/i-enjoyed-acting-and-marveled-that-one-could-get-paid-for-doing-it/) [Norman Fell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fell/) ## More by Michael Douglas > [Directors have so much else to do besides tell actors what to do. There are so many issues and problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-douglas/directors-have-so-much-else-to-do-besides-tell-actors-what-to-do/) [Michael Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-douglas/) > [I've gotten burnt the last few years on a couple of little independent films where you get paid nothing, you work your ass off,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-douglas/i-ve-gotten-burnt-the-last-few-years-on-a-couple-of-little/) [Michael Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-douglas/) > [With little knowledge of what it meant to be a Jew, I found myself passionately defending the Jewish people. 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You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. 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Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. 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