--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a general habit and general tendency…" description: "\"As a general habit and general tendency, I prefer not to bog a piece down with a great number of transitory, contemporary references, because in the en..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/mike-leigh-9087_abstract_as-a-general-habit-and-general-tendency_2118149.png" --- # As a general habit and general tendency, I prefer not to… ![“As a general habit and general tendency, I prefer not to bog a piece down with a great number of transitory, contemporary references, because in the end, I'm concerned, not in an abstract way, but an actual way, with creating a world which has a universality to it - even though what goes on is…” quote by Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/mike-leigh-9087_abstract_as-a-general-habit-and-general-tendency_2118149.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/mike-leigh-9087_abstract_as-a-general-habit-and-general-tendency_2118149.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/mike-leigh-9087_abstract_as-a-general-habit-and-general-tendency_2118149.png) > “As a general habit and general tendency, I prefer not to bog a piece down with a great number of transitory, contemporary references, because in the end, I'm concerned, not in an abstract way, but an actual way, with creating a world which has a universality to it - even though what goes on is made up of texture and detail, contemporary detail.” [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He prefers timeless storytelling over fleeting contemporary references, aiming for universal resonance through detail. **In simple terms:** He seeks lasting, universal art. Key Takeaway Balance detail with timeless themes. Themes art universality detail Mood analytical thoughtful Type artistic instructive When to use this quote - scriptwriting - visual storytelling - cultural critique Key Concepts film theory creative process Questions to Reflect On - How to keep detail without losing universality? - What contemporary elements can enhance timelessness? A Different Perspective Too much focus on detail may alienate audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) [Concerned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerned/) [Contemporary References](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemporary-references-4307599/) [General Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-habit-4307600/) [General Tendency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-tendency-2086118/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Texture Contemporary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/texture-contemporary-4307602/) [Transitory Contemporary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transitory-contemporary-4307601/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [ The general tendency \[is\] to be censorious of the vices to which one has not been tempted. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/the-general-tendency-is-to-be-censorious-of-the-vices-to-which-one/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [The general tendency of evolution is from structure to function, from bondage to freedom of the individual elements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/the-general-tendency-of-evolution-is-from-structure-to-function-from/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [We must judge of a form of government by it's general tendency, not by happy accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-must-judge-of-a-form-of-government-by-it-s-general-tendency-not-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The general tendency of things throughout the world is to render mediocrity the ascendant power among mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-general-tendency-of-things-throughout-the-world-is-to-render/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [A mobile is an abstract sculpture made chiefly out of sheet metal, steel rods, wire and wood. Some or all of these elements move,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-calder/a-mobile-is-an-abstract-sculpture-made-chiefly-out-of-sheet-metal/) [Alexander Calder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-calder/) > [The word of the Lord never comes to us as an opinion, no attempt is made to support it by argument, it comes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-w-ivins/the-word-of-the-lord-never-comes-to-us-as-an-opinion-no-attempt-is/) [Anthony W. Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-w-ivins/) > [For people of color - especially African Americans - the idea that racist cops might frame members of their community is no abstract notion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/for-people-of-color-especially-african-americans-the-idea-that-racist/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [Describing comic sensibility is near impossible. It's sort of an abstract silliness, that sometimes the joke isn't the star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-carvey/describing-comic-sensibility-is-near-impossible-it-s-sort-of-an/) [Dana Carvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-carvey/) > [The more horrible this world (as today, for instance), the more abstract our art, whereas a happy world brings forth an art of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-more-horrible-this-world-as-today-for-instance-the-more-abstract/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) > [Abstract Expressionism was invented by New York drunks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/abstract-expressionism-was-invented-by-new-york-drunks/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [“Happy is very abstract, you can't touch it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-veal/happy-is-very-abstract-you-can-t-touch-it/) [Julius Veal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-veal/) > [A little too abstract, a little too wise, It is time for us to kiss the earth again, It is time to let the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robinson-jeffers/a-little-too-abstract-a-little-too-wise-it-is-time-for-us-to-kiss-the/) [Robinson Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robinson-jeffers/) > [Where human eyes have never seen, where human beings have never been, I build a world of abstract dreams, and I wait for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-ra/where-human-eyes-have-never-seen-where-human-beings-have-never-been-i/) [Sun Ra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-ra/) > [Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-is-the-abstract-of-the-past-but-beauty-is-the-promise-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Mike Leigh > [The main problem is that the Hollywood system has already made the film before the director shoots a single frame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/the-main-problem-is-that-the-hollywood-system-has-already-made-the/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [The delineation between the actor and his part is a practical matter. When the camera runs, you want the actor to be the character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/the-delineation-between-the-actor-and-his-part-is-a-practical-matter/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [Films are made all over the world all the time and only a thin slice of that product is Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/films-are-made-all-over-the-world-all-the-time-and-only-a-thin-slice/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [I think it's important that nobody forgets that although Hollywood commercially dominates the world cinema, in fact what comes out of the filmmaking here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/i-think-it-s-important-that-nobody-forgets-that-although-hollywood/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [Life is about luck and it's about circumstances and socioeconomic conditions and all the rest of it, but you know, you can also make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/life-is-about-luck-and-it-s-about-circumstances-and-socioeconomic/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [I hope I make films where you walk away . . . with work to do, arguments to have, things to worry about, things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/i-hope-i-make-films-where-you-walk-away-with-work-to-do-arguments-to/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [It's an unhealthy habit to say that life is what you make of it, and if you want to be happy, then you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/it-s-an-unhealthy-habit-to-say-that-life-is-what-you-make-of-it-and/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [You will find hardly any improvising on camera anywhere in my films. It's very structured, but it's all worked out from elaborate improvisations over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/you-will-find-hardly-any-improvising-on-camera-anywhere-in-my-films/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [I take no notice of the trends. It has never concerned me at all. My job is to deal with what I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/i-take-no-notice-of-the-trends-it-has-never-concerned-me-at-all-my/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [A lot of the reasons that I'm resistant to making films in the U.S. have nothing to do with not doing a film in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/a-lot-of-the-reasons-that-i-m-resistant-to-making-films-in-the-u-s/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [But films should be voyeuristic. What else is a film if you're not snooping into somebody else's lives?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/but-films-should-be-voyeuristic-what-else-is-a-film-if-you-re-not/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [I try and create for the audience something that relates to real-life experience. When you're meeting somebody for the first time, all you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/i-try-and-create-for-the-audience-something-that-relates-to-real-life/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [People have been very resistant to giving me more than the standard amount of money. So I keep making films on a similar scale.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/people-have-been-very-resistant-to-giving-me-more-than-the-standard/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [But actually I make films that I think are extremely sophisticated and cinematic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/but-actually-i-make-films-that-i-think-are-extremely-sophisticated/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [My work requires acting at its most committed - it demands actors of enormous resilience, but also intelligence and wit. It doesn't work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/my-work-requires-acting-at-its-most-committed-it-demands-actors-of/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) [Explore all 75 Mike Leigh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) ## More Abstract quotes > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-is-the-abstract-of-the-past-but-beauty-is-the-promise-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Where human eyes have never seen, where human beings have never been, I build a world of abstract dreams, and I wait for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-ra/where-human-eyes-have-never-seen-where-human-beings-have-never-been-i/) [Sun Ra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-ra/) > [A little too abstract, a little too wise, It is time for us to kiss the earth again, It is time to let the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robinson-jeffers/a-little-too-abstract-a-little-too-wise-it-is-time-for-us-to-kiss-the/) [Robinson Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robinson-jeffers/) > [“Happy is very abstract, you can't touch it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-veal/happy-is-very-abstract-you-can-t-touch-it/) [Julius Veal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-veal/) > [Abstract Expressionism was invented by New York drunks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/abstract-expressionism-was-invented-by-new-york-drunks/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [The more horrible this world (as today, for instance), the more abstract our art, whereas a happy world brings forth an art of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-more-horrible-this-world-as-today-for-instance-the-more-abstract/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) > [Describing comic sensibility is near impossible. It's sort of an abstract silliness, that sometimes the joke isn't the star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-carvey/describing-comic-sensibility-is-near-impossible-it-s-sort-of-an/) [Dana Carvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-carvey/) > [For people of color - especially African Americans - the idea that racist cops might frame members of their community is no abstract notion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/for-people-of-color-especially-african-americans-the-idea-that-racist/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The word of the Lord never comes to us as an opinion, no attempt is made to support it by argument, it comes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-w-ivins/the-word-of-the-lord-never-comes-to-us-as-an-opinion-no-attempt-is/) [Anthony W. Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-w-ivins/) > [A mobile is an abstract sculpture made chiefly out of sheet metal, steel rods, wire and wood. Some or all of these elements move,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-calder/a-mobile-is-an-abstract-sculpture-made-chiefly-out-of-sheet-metal/) [Alexander Calder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-calder/) > [I'm this superphilosophical kind of person. Stuck in a prison of abstract ideas and overpowering emotions, I have this personality that makes it really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsuo-kirino/i-m-this-superphilosophical-kind-of-person-stuck-in-a-prison-of/) [Natsuo Kirino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsuo-kirino/) > [Future lawyers should be more aware that law is not a system of abstract logic, but the web of arrangements, rooted in history but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/future-lawyers-should-be-more-aware-that-law-is-not-a-system-of/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [The trouble is that when you read criticisms about the other films that I've made you get the impression that they're all about themes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/the-trouble-is-that-when-you-read-criticisms-about-the-other-films/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [Painting is... a richer language than words... Painting operates through signs which are not abstract and incorporeal like words. The signs of painting are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dubuffet/painting-is-a-richer-language-than-words-painting-operates-through/) [Jean Dubuffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dubuffet/) [Browse all 1,403 Abstract quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a general habit and general tendency, I prefer not to bog a piece down with a great number of transitory, contemporary references, because in the end, I'm concerned, not in an abstract way, but an actual way, with creating a world which has a universality to it - even though what goes on is made up of texture and detail, contemporary detail.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mike Leigh" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/as-a-general-habit-and-general-tendency-i-prefer-not-to-bog-a-piece/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abstract" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/as-a-general-habit-and-general-tendency-i-prefer-not-to-bog-a-piece/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/mike-leigh-9087_abstract_as-a-general-habit-and-general-tendency_2118149.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/mike-leigh-9087_abstract_as-a-general-habit-and-general-tendency_2118149.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/mike-leigh-9087_abstract_as-a-general-habit-and-general-tendency_2118149.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a general habit and general tendency, I prefer not to bog a piece down with a great number of transitory…” — Mike Leigh", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mike Leigh", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As a general habit and general...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/as-a-general-habit-and-general-tendency-i-prefer-not-to-bog-a-piece/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/as-a-general-habit-and-general-tendency-i-prefer-not-to-bog-a-piece/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```