---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You're only as good as your body of work…"
description: "\"You're only as good as your body of work, and everybody has issues, whether it's Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese. I'm not comparing myself to those..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/todd-phillips-10339_body_you-re-only-as-good-as-your-body-of-work_1444462.jpg"
---

#  You're only as good as your body of work, and everybody…

![“You're only as good as your body of work, and everybody has issues, whether it's Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese. I'm not comparing myself to those guys, but you learn more from the misses than the hits.” quote by Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/todd-phillips-10339_body_you-re-only-as-good-as-your-body-of-work_1444462.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/todd-phillips-10339_body_you-re-only-as-good-as-your-body-of-work_1444462.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/todd-phillips-10339_body_you-re-only-as-good-as-your-body-of-work_1444462.jpg)

> “You're only as good as your body of work, and everybody has issues, whether it's Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese. I'm not comparing myself to those guys, but you learn more from the misses than the hits.”

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Your reputation depends on your body of work; learning comes more from failures than successes.

**In simple terms:** Your work defines you; failures teach more than hits.

Key Takeaway

Focus on learning from mistakes.

Themes

growth learning creativity

Mood

reflective motivational

Type

advice inspirational

When to use this quote

- film directing
- writing
- personal projects
- skill building

Key Concepts

self-improvement failure analysis career development

Questions to Reflect On

- What recent failure taught you the most?
- How can you turn a miss into a future hit?

A Different Perspective

Success alone doesn't guarantee growth; overemphasis on hits can blind you to lessons.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/)

## Related quotes

> [Everybody has their cross to bear, and everybody has their issues. But it still never once occurred to me that I'm not as good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/everybody-has-their-cross-to-bear-and-everybody-has-their-issues-but/)

[Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/)

> [Dissolution and custody matters are the great equalizers. Having done this for a while, you do realize that everybody has the same issues. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-wasser/dissolution-and-custody-matters-are-the-great-equalizers-having-done/)

[Laura Wasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-wasser/)

> [I think everybody has tragedy in their life. Everybody has hurdles in their life. Everybody has tough things to overcome. My kids say to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/i-think-everybody-has-tragedy-in-their-life-everybody-has-hurdles-in/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [Nobody is perfect,and nobody deserves to be perfect, Nobody has it easy,everybody has issues. You never know what people are going through.so pause before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nobody-is-perfect-and-nobody-deserves-to-be-perfect-nobody-has-it/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I talked about issues that were hurting everybody. Issues that kept moms and dads and people up at night before they went to bed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santos/i-talked-about-issues-that-were-hurting-everybody-issues-that-kept/)

[George Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santos/)

> [“Hell, there're already too many psychologists; too many everythings. Too many engineers, too many chemists, too many doctors, too many dentists, too many sociologists.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wharton/hell-there-re-already-too-many-psychologists-too-many-everythings-too/)

[William Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wharton/)

> [We will work with everybody for the good of New York.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-libeskind/we-will-work-with-everybody-for-the-good-of-new-york/)

[Daniel Libeskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-libeskind/)

> [My administration is going to work with everybody in the African-American community in the inner cities, and what a big difference that is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/my-administration-is-going-to-work-with-everybody-in-the-african/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [The only way things work around here is if everybody wants it to work. If everybody wants it to work, then it has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/the-only-way-things-work-around-here-is-if-everybody-wants-it-to-work/)

[Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/)

> [You can always work around this, that or the other, but if everybody's in there because they love it and they just want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-reinking/you-can-always-work-around-this-that-or-the-other-but-if-everybody-s/)

[Ann Reinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-reinking/)

> [Everybody was being decent, and when people are decent, thing work out for everybody. That has been my theory all through life. If you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bennett-cerf/everybody-was-being-decent-and-when-people-are-decent-thing-work-out/)

[Bennett Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bennett-cerf/)

> [A director on a film really sets the tone of how people go about things, so everybody is happy to be at work and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/a-director-on-a-film-really-sets-the-tone-of-how-people-go-about/)

[James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/)

> [My answer to a lot of things is to go to work. That's not everybody's answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maura-tierney/my-answer-to-a-lot-of-things-is-to-go-to-work-that-s-not-everybody-s/)

[Maura Tierney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maura-tierney/)

> [I mean, I'd like to work with everybody but my dream, as far as a producer would be Timbaland.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snow-tha-product/i-mean-i-d-like-to-work-with-everybody-but-my-dream-as-far-as-a/)

[Snow Tha Product](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snow-tha-product/)

> [You don't have to work with everybody and be on songs with everybody just to make it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-the-kid/you-don-t-have-to-work-with-everybody-and-be-on-songs-with-everybody/)

[Rich the Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-the-kid/)

## More by Todd Phillips

> [I just thinks it's interesting what it takes an actor to find their characters through the wardrobe, or the hair, or the way a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/i-just-thinks-it-s-interesting-what-it-takes-an-actor-to-find-their/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

> [I remember that when I got to NYU, everyone was writing scripts. But I was 18 at the time, and when you write a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/i-remember-that-when-i-got-to-nyu-everyone-was-writing-scripts-but-i/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

> [I think people like comedies and I think concept driven comedies seem to be working when it's a clear concept and you deliver funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/i-think-people-like-comedies-and-i-think-concept-driven-comedies-seem/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

> [With comedy especially, it feels like such a clear-cut thing to be a writer-director. There is so much nuance and tone in a comedy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/with-comedy-especially-it-feels-like-such-a-clear-cut-thing-to-be-a/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

> [The worst thing you can do as a comedy director is be on set and think of something ridiculous, or an actor comes up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/the-worst-thing-you-can-do-as-a-comedy-director-is-be-on-set-and/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

> [It's heartbreaking when you hear a kid buying a ticket for... I don't know, whatever movie you're up against. And you see them sneaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/it-s-heartbreaking-when-you-hear-a-kid-buying-a-ticket-for-i-don-t/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

> [There's a darkness under 'The Hangover' because ultimately there's a missing person and it's not really that funny. There's a sort of darkness under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/there-s-a-darkness-under-the-hangover-because-ultimately-there-s-a/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

> [I think that 'Hangover II' is as funny as 'The Hangover I,' honest to God, but I think that it's a little bit darker,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/i-think-that-hangover-ii-is-as-funny-as-the-hangover-i-honest-to-god/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

> [I just love the look of film. But I have nothing against HD.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/i-just-love-the-look-of-film-but-i-have-nothing-against-hd/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

> [I really got into filmmaking through photography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/i-really-got-into-filmmaking-through-photography/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

> [Comedy is so subjective. You could be in a room with 400 people laughing at a joke and you could just not think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/comedy-is-so-subjective-you-could-be-in-a-room-with-400-people/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

> [I never had a ton of male friends and it's always been something that's really interesting to me, what brings guys together? The bonding.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/i-never-had-a-ton-of-male-friends-and-it-s-always-been-something-that/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

> [I was raised by my mom. She taught me how to be a gentleman; nobody in the movies taught me. I think people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/i-was-raised-by-my-mom-she-taught-me-how-to-be-a-gentleman-nobody-in/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

> [Reality television hasn't killed documentaries, because there are so many great documentaries still being made, but it certainly has changed the landscape. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/reality-television-hasn-t-killed-documentaries-because-there-are-so/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

> [I think reviewers have become particularly venomous because, in a way, the power has been sucked from them. A 15-year-old can write a review…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/i-think-reviewers-have-become-particularly-venomous-because-in-a-way/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

[Explore all 66 Todd Phillips quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

## More Body quotes

> [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/)

[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/)

> [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/)

[Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

> [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/)

[Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/)

[Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/)

> [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/)

[Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [If japa is maintained, no useless talk during work will be possible. The mind will always remain peaceful. Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/if-japa-is-maintained-no-useless-talk-during-work-will-be-possible/)

[Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/)

> [It is the incongruous thing in my entire life, this isolation.. ... My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/)

[Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/)

> [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

[Browse all 20,814 Body quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "You're only as good as your body of work, and everybody has issues, whether it's Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese. I'm not comparing myself to those guys, but you learn more from the misses than the hits.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Todd Phillips"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/you-re-only-as-good-as-your-body-of-work-and-everybody-has-issues/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Body"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/you-re-only-as-good-as-your-body-of-work-and-everybody-has-issues/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/todd-phillips-10339_body_you-re-only-as-good-as-your-body-of-work_1444462.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/todd-phillips-10339_body_you-re-only-as-good-as-your-body-of-work_1444462.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/todd-phillips-10339_body_you-re-only-as-good-as-your-body-of-work_1444462.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You're only as good as your body of work, and everybody has issues, whether it's Steven Spielberg or Martin…” — Todd Phillips",
                "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": "Todd Phillips",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "You're only as good as your...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/you-re-only-as-good-as-your-body-of-work-and-everybody-has-issues/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/you-re-only-as-good-as-your-body-of-work-and-everybody-has-issues/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
