--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a big mistake to think that the…" description: "\"It is a big mistake to think that the best way to express yourself is to do whatever you want, acting as you please. This is not expressing yourself. I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/shunryu-suzuki-1280_acting_it-is-a-big-mistake-to-think-that-the-be_2359215.png" --- # It is a big mistake to think that the best way to express… ![“It is a big mistake to think that the best way to express yourself is to do whatever you want, acting as you please. This is not expressing yourself. If you know what to do exactly, and you do it, then you can express yourself fully.” quote by Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/shunryu-suzuki-1280_acting_it-is-a-big-mistake-to-think-that-the-be_2359215.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/shunryu-suzuki-1280_acting_it-is-a-big-mistake-to-think-that-the-be_2359215.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/shunryu-suzuki-1280_acting_it-is-a-big-mistake-to-think-that-the-be_2359215.png) > “It is a big mistake to think that the best way to express yourself is to do whatever you want, acting as you please. This is not expressing yourself. If you know what to do exactly, and you do it, then you can express yourself fully.” [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True self‑expression requires purposeful action, not random indulgence; knowing and doing what matters reveals authentic self. **In simple terms:** Self‑expression comes from intentional, purposeful actions. Key Takeaway Act with purpose to reveal your true self. Themes self‑awareness intentionality authenticity Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal development - creative projects - career decisions - leadership Key Concepts Zen Buddhism mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What purposeful action aligns with your core values? - How does intention shape authenticity? A Different Perspective Random freedom can lead to chaos, not true expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Expressing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-expressing-2745429/) [Best way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-way/) [Big mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-mistake/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Do whatever you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/do-whatever-you-want/) [Express Fully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/express-fully-3515376/) [Express yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/express-yourself/) [Expressing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expressing/) [Expressing yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expressing-yourself/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Please](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/please/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-acting/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I have the confidence that I can take anybody and have them give a good performance, because I don't think there's anything to acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/i-have-the-confidence-that-i-can-take-anybody-and-have-them-give-a/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [Acting is about expressing emotions, which varies from one person to other. If I were to force my co-stars to act the way I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thalaivasal-vijay/acting-is-about-expressing-emotions-which-varies-from-one-person-to/) [Thalaivasal Vijay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thalaivasal-vijay/) > [Soccer has given me a place to express myself, fully and openly. To not be shy. To feel. To be crazy. To try things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandi-chastain/soccer-has-given-me-a-place-to-express-myself-fully-and-openly-to-not/) [Brandi Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandi-chastain/) > [“What can I do to express fully what I really am?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/what-can-i-do-to-express-fully-what-i-really-am/) [Anaïs Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [I like to express myself fully with my body, with my language, with my voice, and through directing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-labaki/i-like-to-express-myself-fully-with-my-body-with-my-language-with-my/) [Nadine Labaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-labaki/) > [Be rich in expressing yourself in a noble way and you shall never be oppressed without those who can help noticing. Oppression in silence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-matobo/be-rich-in-expressing-yourself-in-a-noble-way-and-you-shall-never-be/) [Frank Matobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-matobo/) > [Club culture is always going to be a reflection of youth culture, but I think we're maybe moving into a time when the club…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn/club-culture-is-always-going-to-be-a-reflection-of-youth-culture-but/) [Robyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn/) > [When it comes to exploring your creative side, it's very easy to think of all the reasons you can't do it-you don't have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/when-it-comes-to-exploring-your-creative-side-it-s-very-easy-to-think/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [Expressing emotion is not so easy. He has to remind himself that English is not her first language. Expressing emotion can be difficult even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elise-valmorbida/expressing-emotion-is-not-so-easy-he-has-to-remind-himself-that/) [Elise Valmorbida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elise-valmorbida/) > [Being beautiful isn't everything... Sometimes it's interesting to show how you feel on the inside on the outside, just through expressing yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fka-twigs/being-beautiful-isn-t-everything-sometimes-it-s-interesting-to-show/) [FKA twigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fka-twigs/) > [Expressing yourself when he takes for granted doesn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-argov/expressing-yourself-when-he-takes-for-granted-doesn-t-work/) [Sherry Argov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-argov/) > [What makes you good looking is how you are expressing yourself and that comes from how you are interpreting life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hrithik-roshan/what-makes-you-good-looking-is-how-you-are-expressing-yourself-and/) [Hrithik Roshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hrithik-roshan/) > [Make-up is about expressing yourself and sometimes, for me at least, that means not wearing any at all, even when you feel under pressure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zara-mcdermott/make-up-is-about-expressing-yourself-and-sometimes-for-me-at-least/) [Zara McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zara-mcdermott/) > [Jiu Jitsu at the end of the day, is the art of expressing yourself honestly. Everytime you put on a Gi, you can't lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saulo-ribeiro/jiu-jitsu-at-the-end-of-the-day-is-the-art-of-expressing-yourself/) [Saulo Ribeiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saulo-ribeiro/) > [Art is a process. Its expressing yourself and doing something, and throwing yourself into it and getting better at it and trying again. Thats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grayson-perry/art-is-a-process-its-expressing-yourself-and-doing-something-and/) [Grayson Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grayson-perry/) ## More by Shunryu Suzuki > [The point we emphasize is strong confidence in our original nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-point-we-emphasize-is-strong-confidence-in-our-original-nature/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [If you continue this simple practice every day, you will obtain some wonderful power. Before you attain it, it is something wonderful, but after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/if-you-continue-this-simple-practice-every-day-you-will-obtain-some/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [You want to eliminate your evil desires in order to reveal your Buddha nature, but where will you throw them away?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/you-want-to-eliminate-your-evil-desires-in-order-to-reveal-your/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Ego is a social institution with no physical reality. The ego is simply your symbol of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/ego-is-a-social-institution-with-no-physical-reality-the-ego-is/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [“In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the experts mind, there are few.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/in-the-beginner-s-mind-there-are-many-possibilities-in-the-experts/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The seed has no idea of being some particular plant, but it has its own form and is in perfect harmony with the ground,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-seed-has-no-idea-of-being-some-particular-plant-but-it-has-its/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Whereever you are, you are one with the clouds and one with the sun and the stars you see. You are one with everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/whereever-you-are-you-are-one-with-the-clouds-and-one-with-the-sun/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [When we become truly ourselves, we just become a swinging door, and we are purely independent of, and at the same time, dependent upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/when-we-become-truly-ourselves-we-just-become-a-swinging-door-and-we/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [“Zen is not some fancy, special art of living. Our teaching is just to live, always in reality, in its exact sense. To make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/zen-is-not-some-fancy-special-art-of-living-our-teaching-is-just-to/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [So the secret is just to say 'Yes!' and jump off from here. Then there is no problem. It means to be yourself, always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/so-the-secret-is-just-to-say-yes-and-jump-off-from-here-then-there-is/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Our tendency is to be interested in something that is growing in the garden, not in the bare soil itself. But if you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/our-tendency-is-to-be-interested-in-something-that-is-growing-in-the/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The world is its own magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-world-is-its-own-magic/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [People say that practicing Zen is difficult, but there is a misunderstanding as to why. It is not difficult because it is hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/people-say-that-practicing-zen-is-difficult-but-there-is-a/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Each one of us must make his own true way, and when we do, that way will express the universal way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/each-one-of-us-must-make-his-own-true-way-and-when-we-do-that-way/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The purpose of our practice is just to be yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-purpose-of-our-practice-is-just-to-be-yourself/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) [Explore all 262 Shunryu Suzuki quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) ## 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. 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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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "It is a big mistake to think that the best way to express yourself is to do whatever you want, acting as you please. This is not expressing yourself. 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