--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was at school, I wanted to join…" description: "\"When I was at school, I wanted to join the army. At college, I started acting in college plays, and it became a kind of addiction. I was very shy when ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fee/om-puri-22254_acting_when-i-was-at-school-i-wanted-to-join-th_134924.jpg" --- # When I was at school, I wanted to join the army. At… ![“When I was at school, I wanted to join the army. At college, I started acting in college plays, and it became a kind of addiction. I was very shy when I was at school, but the plays seemed to give voice to my feelings.” quote by Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fee/om-puri-22254_acting_when-i-was-at-school-i-wanted-to-join-th_134924.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fee/om-puri-22254_acting_when-i-was-at-school-i-wanted-to-join-th_134924.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fee/om-puri-22254_acting_when-i-was-at-school-i-wanted-to-join-th_134924.jpg) > “When I was at school, I wanted to join the army. At college, I started acting in college plays, and it became a kind of addiction. I was very shy when I was at school, but the plays seemed to give voice to my feelings.” [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shy school years gave way to acting, which became an addictive outlet for expression and confidence. **In simple terms:** Acting helped overcome shyness. Key Takeaway Explore creative outlets to build confidence. Themes self‑expression addiction confidence growth Mood reflective enthusiastic Type personal creative When to use this quote - theatre groups - acting classes - personal development workshops Key Concepts performance art psychology of shyness creative addiction Questions to Reflect On - What drives the need for performance? - How to balance passion with other life areas? A Different Perspective Addiction may mask underlying issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) ## Related quotes > [I was initiated into acting with college plays, enacted by our amateur theatre group, Natya Aradhna, in Sholapur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-kulkarni/i-was-initiated-into-acting-with-college-plays-enacted-by-our-amateur/) [Atul Kulkarni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-kulkarni/) > [I moved out after college, and I started working right away, and I've been working ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-d-agosto/i-moved-out-after-college-and-i-started-working-right-away-and-i-ve/) [Nicholas D'Agosto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-d-agosto/) > [I always loved doing productions in school. In college, I started getting a little more serious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jacobson/i-always-loved-doing-productions-in-school-in-college-i-started/) [Peter Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jacobson/) > [I was always the youngest person in class, skinny, scrawny, no good at sports. I asserted myself by being smart. But then I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/i-was-always-the-youngest-person-in-class-skinny-scrawny-no-good-at/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“I decided I would put off the novel until I had gone to Europe and had a lover, and that I would never learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-decided-i-would-put-off-the-novel-until-i-had-gone-to-europe-and/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [I went to a girls high school and I went to a women's college and when I first started teaching at Georgetown it had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/i-went-to-a-girls-high-school-and-i-went-to-a-women-s-college-and/) [Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/) > [I became part of a little study group in community college and started caring about strangers. It gave me insight into what an asshole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-harmon/i-became-part-of-a-little-study-group-in-community-college-and/) [Dan Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-harmon/) > [Most of my life, I thought that I would end up a novelist. But then, in New York City, after college, I started a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/most-of-my-life-i-thought-that-i-would-end-up-a-novelist-but-then-in/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [When I got back into the film business after college, I started out as a production assistant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-lookinland/when-i-got-back-into-the-film-business-after-college-i-started-out-as/) [Mike Lookinland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-lookinland/) > [I dropped out of college and started gigging around Brighton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/passenger/i-dropped-out-of-college-and-started-gigging-around-brighton/) [Passenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/passenger/) > [I dropped out of college, started playing music. I was going to do what I was going to do and it is what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-mosley/i-dropped-out-of-college-started-playing-music-i-was-going-to-do-what/) [Chuck Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-mosley/) > [In high school and college, I started to read more and write science fiction myself. I was fully engaged in writing in the 1990s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-cixin/in-high-school-and-college-i-started-to-read-more-and-write-science/) [Liu Cixin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-cixin/) > [I never went to college. I started working when I was 17.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barun-sobti/i-never-went-to-college-i-started-working-when-i-was-17/) [Barun Sobti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barun-sobti/) > [It wasn't until after college that I started writing. I had just applied randomly for jobs in the media and got one on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/it-wasn-t-until-after-college-that-i-started-writing-i-had-just/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [ I believe each incoming freshman \[in college\] must be started at once on his own research project if we are to preserve his secret… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/i-believe-each-incoming-freshman-in-college-must-be-started-at-once/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) ## More by Om Puri > [In western countries, there are roles written for older actors. Films are made on them, including love stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/in-western-countries-there-are-roles-written-for-older-actors-films/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [I have no regrets at all. I have done quite well for myself. I didn't have a conventional face, but I have done well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/i-have-no-regrets-at-all-i-have-done-quite-well-for-myself-i-didn-t/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [I was very sensitive to the environment around, and this disparity in people, seeing beggars and laborers not paid well, used to disturb me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/i-was-very-sensitive-to-the-environment-around-and-this-disparity-in/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [Our stars are quite notorious. I mean, they don't show up on time. This is, you know, something which is very, very annoying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/our-stars-are-quite-notorious-i-mean-they-don-t-show-up-on-time-this/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [Meeting Helen Mirren was a fabulous experience. I had played it out in my mind, how I should greet her when we would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/meeting-helen-mirren-was-a-fabulous-experience-i-had-played-it-out-in/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [What Bollywood lacks is scripts. A lot of the films are copies of western films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/what-bollywood-lacks-is-scripts-a-lot-of-the-films-are-copies-of/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [We have filmmakers who make films with some kind of responsibility and take cinema seriously like Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani, Prakash Jha. But now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/we-have-filmmakers-who-make-films-with-some-kind-of-responsibility/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [The fact is I like Mumbai less and less. My son says, 'Baba, let's go for a drive', and I tell him, 'Where's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/the-fact-is-i-like-mumbai-less-and-less-my-son-says-baba-let-s-go-for/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [In theatre, you've got to make the connect with your audience in the first three minutes. If you haven't, you know you've almost lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/in-theatre-you-ve-got-to-make-the-connect-with-your-audience-in-the/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [It is my first preference to do films with social significance. Art cinema has given me credibility and status as an actor, but commercial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/it-is-my-first-preference-to-do-films-with-social-significance-art/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [Parallel cinema has not made an effort to communicate in a language the other person understands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/parallel-cinema-has-not-made-an-effort-to-communicate-in-a-language/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [I feel even old people can do a nice love story, but here we don't make that kind of films. In the West, such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/i-feel-even-old-people-can-do-a-nice-love-story-but-here-we-don-t/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [Actors are just soldiers who follow commands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/actors-are-just-soldiers-who-follow-commands/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [I don't spend on expensive brands. I don't need foreign holidays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/i-don-t-spend-on-expensive-brands-i-don-t-need-foreign-holidays/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [I had hoped when my life was chronicled, it would be an inspirational story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/i-had-hoped-when-my-life-was-chronicled-it-would-be-an-inspirational/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) [Explore all 27 Om Puri quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) ## More Acting 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/) > [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. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! 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. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) [Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was at school, I wanted to join the army. At college, I started acting in college plays, and it became a kind of addiction. 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