--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Since I was 18, I've been under orders…" description: "\"Since I was 18, I've been under orders from magazines and newspapers - chiefly The New York Times and Rolling Stone - to step into the lives of musicia..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/neil-strauss-3035_actor_since-i-was-18-i-ve-been-under-orders-fr_1647356.jpg" --- # Since I was 18, I've been under orders from magazines and… ![“Since I was 18, I've been under orders from magazines and newspapers - chiefly The New York Times and Rolling Stone - to step into the lives of musicians, actors, and artists, and somehow find out who they really are underneath the mask they present to the public. But I didn't always succeed.” quote by Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/neil-strauss-3035_actor_since-i-was-18-i-ve-been-under-orders-fr_1647356.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/neil-strauss-3035_actor_since-i-was-18-i-ve-been-under-orders-fr_1647356.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/neil-strauss-3035_actor_since-i-was-18-i-ve-been-under-orders-fr_1647356.jpg) > “Since I was 18, I've been under orders from magazines and newspapers - chiefly The New York Times and Rolling Stone - to step into the lives of musicians, actors, and artists, and somehow find out who they really are underneath the mask they present to the public. But I didn't always succeed.” [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Explores the difficulty of truly understanding public figures beyond their crafted personas. **In simple terms:** Hard to see real people behind fame. Key Takeaway Seek deeper authenticity. Themes identity media authenticity Mood curious reflective Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - journalism - biography - personal interviews Key Concepts persona public image psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can we look beyond media masks? - What methods reveal genuine character? A Different Perspective Public personas often hide true selves. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artists/) [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Chiefly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chiefly/) [Find](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/find/) [Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives/) [Magazines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magazines/) [Magazines Newspapers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magazines-newspapers-619996/) [Mask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mask/) [Mask Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mask-present-619995/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musicians/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [New york times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york-times/) [Newspapers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newspapers/) [Orders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orders/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present/) [Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Rolling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rolling/) [Rolling stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rolling-stone/) [Since](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/since/) [Somehow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somehow/) [Step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/step/) [Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stone/) [Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed/) [Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times/) [Underneath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underneath/) [Underneath Mask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underneath-mask-619994/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [York](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/york/) [York Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/york-times/) ## Related quotes > [“Existence, it seems, is chiefly maintenance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/existence-it-seems-is-chiefly-maintenance/) [Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/) > [We sought out and visited all the Indians hereabouts that we could meet with, in number about twenty. 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We know ourselves chiefly by hearsay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/it-is-thus-with-most-of-us-we-are-what-other-people-say-we-are-we/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [They had scarcely established themselves, however, before another company of Jackson county citizens, chiefly from around Independence, organized to drive them off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-younger/they-had-scarcely-established-themselves-however-before-another/) [Cole Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-younger/) > [Nothing graces the Christian soul so much as mercy; mercy as shown chiefly towards the poor, that thou mayest treat them as sharers in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-ambrose/nothing-graces-the-christian-soul-so-much-as-mercy-mercy-as-shown/) [Saint Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-ambrose/) ## More by Neil Strauss > [“Never underestimate your own capacity to care. “I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/never-underestimate-your-own-capacity-to-care-i/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [Rapport equals trust plus comfort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/rapport-equals-trust-plus-comfort/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [A good organizer is key to anyone with a busy social life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/a-good-organizer-is-key-to-anyone-with-a-busy-social-life/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [“NONVERSATION—noun: a conversation in which one person isn’t paying attention to what the other person is saying, generally due to lack of interest or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/nonversation-noun-a-conversation-in-which-one-person-isn-t-paying/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [You need to be careful with a Bluetooth headset. Because some guys look crazy with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/you-need-to-be-careful-with-a-bluetooth-headset-because-some-guys/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [In life, people tend to wait for good things to come to them. And by waiting, they miss out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/in-life-people-tend-to-wait-for-good-things-to-come-to-them-and-by/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [A lot of guys are very intimidated by an attractive woman, and they dehumanise her because our culture perceives beautiful women as commodities. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/a-lot-of-guys-are-very-intimidated-by-an-attractive-woman-and-they/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [“That's when I started to leave it behind. I realized that I got my entire validation from women. Women became like gods to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/that-s-when-i-started-to-leave-it-behind-i-realized-that-i-got-my/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [Life is more fun when you open your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/life-is-more-fun-when-you-open-your-mouth/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [Growing up, I was watched by my parents and strongly critiqued. Instead of saying they loved me or showing physical attention, they would joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/growing-up-i-was-watched-by-my-parents-and-strongly-critiqued-instead/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [“We never had conversations; we had nonversations, where we just filled empty space with words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/we-never-had-conversations-we-had-nonversations-where-we-just-filled/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [“A man has two primary drives in early adulthood: one toward power, success, and accomplishment; the other toward love, companionship, and sex.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/a-man-has-two-primary-drives-in-early-adulthood-one-toward-power/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [“Among the required reading for all PUAs were books on evolutionary theory: The Red Queen by Matt Ridley, The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/among-the-required-reading-for-all-puas-were-books-on-evolutionary/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [Instead of putting others down, try improving yourself instead. The only person you have a right to compete with is you. In the meantime,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/instead-of-putting-others-down-try-improving-yourself-instead-the/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [“We were all searching outside ourselves for our missing pieces, and we were all looking in the wrong direction. Instead of finding ourselves, we'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/we-were-all-searching-outside-ourselves-for-our-missing-pieces-and-we/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) [Explore all 139 Neil Strauss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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/) > [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/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. 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