--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People don't understand it, but the most…" description: "\"People don't understand it, but the most intense occasions in the House of Commons were the ones I enjoyed most. When events could go either way and yo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/michael-portillo-5117_day_people-don-t-understand-it-but-the-most_2586865.jpg" --- # People don't understand it, but the most intense occasions… ![“People don't understand it, but the most intense occasions in the House of Commons were the ones I enjoyed most. When events could go either way and you could find yourself out of a job by the end of the day, those were the times when you were most on a high.” quote by Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/michael-portillo-5117_day_people-don-t-understand-it-but-the-most_2586865.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/michael-portillo-5117_day_people-don-t-understand-it-but-the-most_2586865.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/michael-portillo-5117_day_people-don-t-understand-it-but-the-most_2586865.jpg) > “People don't understand it, but the most intense occasions in the House of Commons were the ones I enjoyed most. When events could go either way and you could find yourself out of a job by the end of the day, those were the times when you were most on a high.” [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes the thrill of high‑stakes political moments, where uncertainty and risk create intense professional satisfaction. **In simple terms:** High pressure can be exhilarating. Key Takeaway Embrace challenging moments. Themes politics risk adrenaline Mood intense reflective Type political motivational When to use this quote - election campaigns - legislative debates - crisis management Key Concepts decision theory career dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What high‑risk situation energized you? - How do you manage stress in those moments? A Different Perspective Such excitement may be unsustainable long‑term. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [End of the day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-of-the-day/) [Intense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intense/) [Occasions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occasions/) ## Related quotes > [On the rare occasions when I spend a night in Oxford, the keeping of the hours by the clock towers in New College, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-n-wilson/on-the-rare-occasions-when-i-spend-a-night-in-oxford-the-keeping-of/) [A. N. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-n-wilson/) > [Only people who look dull ever get into the House of Commons, and only people who are dull ever succeed there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/only-people-who-look-dull-ever-get-into-the-house-of-commons-and-only/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I have never pretended to be a great House of Commons man, but I pay the House the greatest compliment I can by saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-have-never-pretended-to-be-a-great-house-of-commons-man-but-i-pay/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [We have a saying in the House of Commons; that old ways are the safest and surest ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-coke/we-have-a-saying-in-the-house-of-commons-that-old-ways-are-the-safest/) [Edward Coke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-coke/) > [But there's certainly only one thing I could never agree with George Galloway on. 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But also, I'm kind of the chief executive of the Palace of Westminster, the House…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-hoyle/i-make-sure-everything-goes-evenly-in-the-chamber-but-also-i-m-kind/) [Lindsay Hoyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-hoyle/) > [People do not use foul language in the House of Commons chamber. 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So I should be. If you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/people-have-said-to-me-oh-you-are-much-nicer-making-documentaries/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > ['Bradshaw's' is a lovely device for the time-travelling television presenter. I just hope that people buying it aren't doing so with the intention of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/bradshaw-s-is-a-lovely-device-for-the-time-travelling-television/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [King Edward VIII was forced to abdicate because he was determined to marry a divorced woman. As a result of that decision, the Queen's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/king-edward-viii-was-forced-to-abdicate-because-he-was-determined-to/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [Three letters send a chill down the spine of the enemy: SAS. Those letters spell out one clear message. Don't mess with Britain!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/three-letters-send-a-chill-down-the-spine-of-the-enemy-sas-those/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [If life is a soap opera you shouldn't be in too much of a hurry to get to the final credits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/if-life-is-a-soap-opera-you-shouldn-t-be-in-too-much-of-a-hurry-to/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [Before my teens, my contemporaries were reading Tolkien and were absorbed by his works, but try as I might, I could not be drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/before-my-teens-my-contemporaries-were-reading-tolkien-and-were/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [I will say what I want to say. I had some homosexual experiences as a young person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/i-will-say-what-i-want-to-say-i-had-some-homosexual-experiences-as-a/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) [Explore all 101 Michael Portillo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) ## More Day quotes > [On Sundays, that's my pig out day and I do the pizza and the beer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-silvstedt/on-sundays-that-s-my-pig-out-day-and-i-do-the-pizza-and-the-beer/) [Victoria Silvstedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-silvstedt/) > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [I would borrow money all day long, if the cost of borrowing is less than the expected return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/i-would-borrow-money-all-day-long-if-the-cost-of-borrowing-is-less/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [I had developed a relationship with one of the anti-abortion sidewalk counselors who stood in front of my facility. We talked regularly through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-johnson/i-had-developed-a-relationship-with-one-of-the-anti-abortion-sidewalk/) [Abby Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-johnson/) > [I loved the game so much that even though our playing field was muddy and we had many trees on it, I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/i-loved-the-game-so-much-that-even-though-our-playing-field-was-muddy/) [Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? 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