--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's such a self-conscious balance…" description: "\"There's such a self-conscious balance that goes into television. Also, these are not people that think things through.\" — P. J. O'Rourke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/p-j-o-rourke-184_balance_there-s-such-a-self-conscious-balance-th_1664590.png" --- # There's such a self-conscious balance that goes into… ![“There's such a self-conscious balance that goes into television. Also, these are not people that think things through.” quote by P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/p-j-o-rourke-184_balance_there-s-such-a-self-conscious-balance-th_1664590.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/p-j-o-rourke-184_balance_there-s-such-a-self-conscious-balance-th_1664590.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/p-j-o-rourke-184_balance_there-s-such-a-self-conscious-balance-th_1664590.png) > “There's such a self-conscious balance that goes into television. Also, these are not people that think things through.” [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. TV demands a self‑conscious balance, yet many participants lack thoughtful deliberation. **In simple terms:** TV is self‑conscious but often shallow. Key Takeaway Seek deeper content. Themes media balance thoughtfulness Mood critical skeptical Type social commentary When to use this quote - media literacy courses - mindful viewing habits Key Concepts television superficiality critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How does TV shape your self‑image? - What alternatives foster deeper thinking? A Different Perspective TV can reinforce echo chambers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious/) [Conscious Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-balance-794739/) [Goes Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goes-television-794740/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-think/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-conscious/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Television People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television-people-272928/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [Were I to deduce any system from my feelings on leaving Eton, it might be called The Theory of Permanent Adolescence. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/were-i-to-deduce-any-system-from-my-feelings-on-leaving-eton-it-might/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [However, to modify a habit, you must decide to change it. You must consiously accept the hard work of identifying the cues and rewards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/however-to-modify-a-habit-you-must-decide-to-change-it-you-must/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [I'm a little self-conscious about my body. I love to wear hoodies because you can get cozy and eat some food and your belly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-padalecki/i-m-a-little-self-conscious-about-my-body-i-love-to-wear-hoodies/) [Jared Padalecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-padalecki/) > [Once you begin to take yourself seriously as a leader or as a follower, as a modern or as a conservative, then you become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/once-you-begin-to-take-yourself-seriously-as-a-leader-or-as-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [It's like a relay race of being ignored. It is really challenging, but whenever I get asked that stuff, I feel really self-conscious about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-rossdale/it-s-like-a-relay-race-of-being-ignored-it-is-really-challenging-but/) [Gavin Rossdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-rossdale/) > [For the whole consequence of evolution from blind impulse through conscious will to self conscious knowledge, seems still somehow to correspond to a continued…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-rank/for-the-whole-consequence-of-evolution-from-blind-impulse-through/) [Otto Rank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-rank/) > [There's almost a fear that if you understood too deeply the way you arrived at choices, you could become self-conscious. In any case, many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-weir/there-s-almost-a-fear-that-if-you-understood-too-deeply-the-way-you/) [Peter Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-weir/) > [What’s the point of opening yourself up to your friends if they don’t notice you in your vulnerable state? The point of it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-earl/what-s-the-point-of-opening-yourself-up-to-your-friends-if-they-don-t/) [Esther Earl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-earl/) > [I think most of us become self-critical as soon as we become self-conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/i-think-most-of-us-become-self-critical-as-soon-as-we-become-self/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [Great acting can be almost a psychotic mix of self-consciousness and unself-consciousness. And thats the terrible conflict. You have to be free to jump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-baldwin/great-acting-can-be-almost-a-psychotic-mix-of-self-consciousness-and/) [Alec Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-baldwin/) > [Salvador Dali has been called kitsch, but, although some of this work may be grotesque, its brazenly self-conscious bad taste saves it from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-dutton/salvador-dali-has-been-called-kitsch-but-although-some-of-this-work/) [Denis Dutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-dutton/) > [I'm very self-conscious as an actor, with performances and things, and I don't like watching my own stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lewis/i-m-very-self-conscious-as-an-actor-with-performances-and-things-and/) [Matthew Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lewis/) > [I don't think my paintings are self-conscious but you feel the consciousness of them. Without them being self-conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-don-t-think-my-paintings-are-self-conscious-but-you-feel-the/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [God -- if he really exist -- is good, alive, self-conscious, and governs all things according to his benevolent and holy providence; but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-batchelder-greene/god-if-he-really-exist-is-good-alive-self-conscious-and-governs-all/) [William Batchelder Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-batchelder-greene/) ## More by P. J. O'Rourke > [I'm fascinated by political enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-m-fascinated-by-political-enthusiasm/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [In comparative terms, there's no poverty in America by a long shot. Heritage Foundation political scientist Robert Rector has worked up figures showing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-comparative-terms-there-s-no-poverty-in-america-by-a-long-shot/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [The Democrats said, "We don't know what's wrong with America, but we can fix it." The Republicans said, "There's nothing wrong with America, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/the-democrats-said-we-don-t-know-what-s-wrong-with-america-but-we-can/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [At Epcot Center the Disney corporation has focused its attention on two things greatly in need of Disneyfication: the tedious future and the annoying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/at-epcot-center-the-disney-corporation-has-focused-its-attention-on/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [So-called Western Civilization, as practised in half of Europe, some of Asia and a few parts of North America, is better than anything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/so-called-western-civilization-as-practised-in-half-of-europe-some-of/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [My whole family can talk. They are all car salesmen. They are all funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/my-whole-family-can-talk-they-are-all-car-salesmen-they-are-all-funny/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [It was Ronald Reagan who used to say that the 10 most frightening words in the English language are, "I'm from the federal government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/it-was-ronald-reagan-who-used-to-say-that-the-10-most-frightening/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Gun violence has cost us too many political leaders, and hardly ever the worst ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/gun-violence-has-cost-us-too-many-political-leaders-and-hardly-ever/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Pete Seeger is a modest, unassuming, cheerful, and kind-natured man. He's a good folk singer, if you can stand folk singing. And he's such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/pete-seeger-is-a-modest-unassuming-cheerful-and-kind-natured-man-he-s/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Journalists are notoriously easy to kid. All you have to do is speak to a journalist in a very serious tone of voice, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/journalists-are-notoriously-easy-to-kid-all-you-have-to-do-is-speak/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I like to think of my behavior in the sixties as a 'learning experience.' Then again, I like to think of anything stupid I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-like-to-think-of-my-behavior-in-the-sixties-as-a-learning/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I'll be 56 this year, I've got two kids, and I think it's probably time to go back to writing one-glove jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-ll-be-56-this-year-i-ve-got-two-kids-and-i-think-it-s-probably-time/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Something that comes to us, some gym shoe that comes to us as a result of child labor from a brutal dictatorship, where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/something-that-comes-to-us-some-gym-shoe-that-comes-to-us-as-a-result/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Russians not only vehemently despise blacks, they believe Africa begins at the Ukraine border.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/russians-not-only-vehemently-despise-blacks-they-believe-africa/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Now, do I think the baby boomers tend to be self-absorbed? I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/now-do-i-think-the-baby-boomers-tend-to-be-self-absorbed-i-do/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) [Explore all 983 P. J. O'Rourke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) ## More Balance quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [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/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/) [A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Once you've gotten your money in balance, you know how much you have to spend on things that are just fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/once-you-ve-gotten-your-money-in-balance-you-know-how-much-you-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Whatever needed to be done, I need to know how to do it just as well as my wife. You know, for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/whatever-needed-to-be-done-i-need-to-know-how-to-do-it-just-as-well/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I don't think my parents would have let me go straight into acting full time when I was 12. I do like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-don-t-think-my-parents-would-have-let-me-go-straight-into-acting/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [When it comes down to music, I have no balance. I am 100 percent. It is like full throttle. Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's such a self-conscious balance that goes into television. Also, these are not people that think things through.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "P. J. O'Rourke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/there-s-such-a-self-conscious-balance-that-goes-into-television-also/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Balance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/there-s-such-a-self-conscious-balance-that-goes-into-television-also/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/p-j-o-rourke-184_balance_there-s-such-a-self-conscious-balance-th_1664590.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/p-j-o-rourke-184_balance_there-s-such-a-self-conscious-balance-th_1664590.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/p-j-o-rourke-184_balance_there-s-such-a-self-conscious-balance-th_1664590.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's such a self-conscious balance that goes into television. Also, these are not people that think…” — P. J. O'Rourke", "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": "P. J. O'Rourke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There's such a self-conscious balance that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/there-s-such-a-self-conscious-balance-that-goes-into-television-also/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/there-s-such-a-self-conscious-balance-that-goes-into-television-also/#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 } } ] } ```