--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only thing that really matters in the…" description: "\"The only thing that really matters in the initial part of my career, the worst mistake I've ever made was try to do things to please the audience think..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/168/terrence-howard-10939_audience_the-only-thing-that-really-matters-in-th_1682226.jpg" --- # The only thing that really matters in the initial part of… ![“The only thing that really matters in the initial part of my career, the worst mistake I've ever made was try to do things to please the audience thinking how the audience is going to respond if I do this.” quote by Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/168/terrence-howard-10939_audience_the-only-thing-that-really-matters-in-th_1682226.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/168/terrence-howard-10939_audience_the-only-thing-that-really-matters-in-th_1682226.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/168/terrence-howard-10939_audience_the-only-thing-that-really-matters-in-th_1682226.jpg) > “The only thing that really matters in the initial part of my career, the worst mistake I've ever made was try to do things to please the audience thinking how the audience is going to respond if I do this.” [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Focusing on audience approval early in a career leads to inauthentic choices and missed growth. **In simple terms:** Seeking approval harms authentic growth. Key Takeaway Prioritize personal vision over audience expectations. Themes authenticity career development self‑validation Mood reflective cautious Type advice motivational When to use this quote - early career decisions - creative projects - public speaking - branding - networking Key Concepts self‑awareness creative risk audience dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can you test ideas without seeking approval? - What personal values guide your work? A Different Perspective Audience expectations can shift, making early compromises costly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [My initial career, really, as a baby, was as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-torme/my-initial-career-really-as-a-baby-was-as-a-singer/) [Mel Torme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-torme/) > [I love the ups and downs and the eccentricities of my career. The worst movies have produced some of the best friendships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-williams/i-love-the-ups-and-downs-and-the-eccentricities-of-my-career-the/) [Olivia Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-williams/) > [“On the other hand, identification as a relationship of audience to performance disguised the arbitrarily constructed nature of the performance and encouraged the audience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fiske/on-the-other-hand-identification-as-a-relationship-of-audience-to/) [John Fiske](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fiske/) > [When you're making the film, you don't really think the audience; it's only when you start editing that you really start to became aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-glazer/when-you-re-making-the-film-you-don-t-really-think-the-audience-it-s/) [Jonathan Glazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-glazer/) > [Performance is always oriented towards a spectator, towards an imagined audience and I was thinking who is their imagined audience?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/performance-is-always-oriented-towards-a-spectator-towards-an/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [You're in front of an audience and thinking off the top of your head - you're going to say things that offend people sometimes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-mathews/you-re-in-front-of-an-audience-and-thinking-off-the-top-of-your-head/) [Ross Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-mathews/) > [If you can fool every single member of the audience into thinking you're confident and you deserve to be there, everyone will jump on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-garratt/if-you-can-fool-every-single-member-of-the-audience-into-thinking-you/) [Jack Garratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-garratt/) > [I try not to think too much about what the audience is thinking and what they think I should do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-gordon/i-try-not-to-think-too-much-about-what-the-audience-is-thinking-and/) [Kim Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-gordon/) > [You've got to keep your finger on the pulse of what your audience is thinking, and know what they'll accept from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/you-ve-got-to-keep-your-finger-on-the-pulse-of-what-your-audience-is/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [I never go see live comedy shows because I just sit in the audience thinking, "Here's what I would say. Here's what I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-never-go-see-live-comedy-shows-because-i-just-sit-in-the-audience/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [“Focus on What You Want to Say, Not on What You Think the Audience Is Thinking Many people pay too much attention to how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/focus-on-what-you-want-to-say-not-on-what-you-think-the-audience-is/) [Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/) > [The problem with individual opinion is that it doesn't necessary correlate with what the mass audience is thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mercurio/the-problem-with-individual-opinion-is-that-it-doesn-t-necessary/) [Jed Mercurio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mercurio/) > [There's probably a way to use that great content and to live under the radar now and then in order to reach a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/there-s-probably-a-way-to-use-that-great-content-and-to-live-under/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) > [If you test Iron Man and that audience doesn't respond well, you can be damn sure that there is something wrong with the movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/if-you-test-iron-man-and-that-audience-doesn-t-respond-well-you-can/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [Plan for each episode to be a satisfying experience, but still leave the audience thinking, 'Oh, my God! Now what?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/plan-for-each-episode-to-be-a-satisfying-experience-but-still-leave/) [Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/) ## More by Terrence Howard > [I found from working on the film that I am a bigot, at times. And that I am also a coward, at times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/i-found-from-working-on-the-film-that-i-am-a-bigot-at-times-and-that/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [And when I stopped doing that and started thinking about what feels natural and what feels right to me and started pleasing myself, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/and-when-i-stopped-doing-that-and-started-thinking-about-what-feels/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [The difference with Cleveland is that the racial tension was not a casual taste of it. It was outlandish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/the-difference-with-cleveland-is-that-the-racial-tension-was-not-a/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [I've always had a natural fear of the police, or abuse of their power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/i-ve-always-had-a-natural-fear-of-the-police-or-abuse-of-their-power/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [If evolution works, why are monkeys still around?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/if-evolution-works-why-are-monkeys-still-around/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [The reason that I'm an actor, or an artist, is ultimately because I'm trying to paint a self-portrait, and the most complete and beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/the-reason-that-i-m-an-actor-or-an-artist-is-ultimately-because-i-m/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [The purpose of my life is being a father to my kids and being a husband to my wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/the-purpose-of-my-life-is-being-a-father-to-my-kids-and-being-a/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [When you hear buzz around the beehive, you know they're making honey in there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/when-you-hear-buzz-around-the-beehive-you-know-they-re-making-honey/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [I don't think President Obama has been that revolutionary in reaching out to ethnic communities. President Reagan did a lot for the black community…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/i-don-t-think-president-obama-has-been-that-revolutionary-in-reaching/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [As a child our dreams got scattered all about and all our future prospects got scattered to so many places, and we spend our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/as-a-child-our-dreams-got-scattered-all-about-and-all-our-future/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [I want to be the condensation on the glass. I want to be that phenomenon that takes place between hot and cold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/i-want-to-be-the-condensation-on-the-glass-i-want-to-be-that/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [If you're not going to do your job, get out of here. Don't mess up my work. This is how I feed my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/if-you-re-not-going-to-do-your-job-get-out-of-here-don-t-mess-up-my/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [I am an engineer, but what I find important and necessary is that you just learn things as you go along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/i-am-an-engineer-but-what-i-find-important-and-necessary-is-that-you/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [I like to watch mankind in its futile attempt to understand the unknown, when they don't even understand that which they know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/i-like-to-watch-mankind-in-its-futile-attempt-to-understand-the/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [Sometimes the only way to make palatable that which is appalling and apprehensive is to season it with some humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/sometimes-the-only-way-to-make-palatable-that-which-is-appalling-and/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) [Explore all 62 Terrence Howard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The only thing that really matters in the initial part of my career, the worst mistake I've ever made was try to do things to please the audience thinking how the audience is going to respond if I do this.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terrence Howard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/the-only-thing-that-really-matters-in-the-initial-part-of-my-career/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/the-only-thing-that-really-matters-in-the-initial-part-of-my-career/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/168/terrence-howard-10939_audience_the-only-thing-that-really-matters-in-th_1682226.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/168/terrence-howard-10939_audience_the-only-thing-that-really-matters-in-th_1682226.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/168/terrence-howard-10939_audience_the-only-thing-that-really-matters-in-th_1682226.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only thing that really matters in the initial part of my career, the worst mistake I've ever made was…” — Terrence Howard", "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": "Terrence Howard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The only thing that really matters...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/the-only-thing-that-really-matters-in-the-initial-part-of-my-career/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/the-only-thing-that-really-matters-in-the-initial-part-of-my-career/#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 } } ] } ```