Life's barely long enough to get good at one thing. So be careful what you get good at.
Matthew McconaugheyRead
I've read a lot of really great characters in some really crappy stories, where I said, like, 'Boy I could shine here, but the story sucks.' I don't want to be part of that.
Interpretation
Great characters can be overshadowed by poor storytelling, and it's important to choose quality narratives.
Matthew McConaughey reflects on his experiences as an actor, expressing that even if he encounters well-developed characters, he prefers not to associate with subpar stories. He values the integrity of the narrative and believes that one should strive to contribute to worthwhile projects rather than settle for mediocrity.
In practice
In a discussion about film projects, this quote can highlight the importance of narrative quality.
Life's barely long enough to get good at one thing. So be careful what you get good at.
I know who I am. And after all these years, there's a victory in that.
I don't dislike any of my exes. If I took time to form a relationship, it's gonna hurt when we move on, but are you puttin' White-Out over all that beautiful time together? That was real time in your life. It's connected to where you are today.
You know who it is? It's me in 10 years. So I turned 25. Ten years later, that same person comes to me and says, 'So, are you a hero?' And I was like, 'not even close. No, no, no.' She said, 'Why?' I said, 'Because my hero's me at 35.' So you see every day, every week, every month and every year of my life, my hero's always 10 years away. I'm never gonna be my hero. I'm not gonna attain that. I know I'm not, and that's just fine with me because that keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing.
I love having my hands in the dirt. It is never a science and always an art. There are no rules. And if it comes down to me versus that weed I'm trying to pull out of the ground that doesn't want to come out? I know I'll win.
Kids will remind you that, even though you've gone down a road 100 times, it's brand new for them - and that's healthy.
Were it not for music, we might in these days say, the Beautiful is dead.
Classical music is one of the best things that ever happened to mankind. If you get introduced to it in the right way, it becomes your friend for life.
You don't write for success. That takes part of your attention away from the writing. If you're really doing it, that's all you're doing: writing.
Don't ever write just for a trend or fad, because it's a moving target, and by the time you get your work out there, the trend or fad is gone. Dig deep; don't be afraid to write fiercely. Expose your heart.
When you say 'design,' everybody thinks of magazine pages. So it's an emotive word. Everybody thinks it's how something looks, whereas for me, design is pretty much everything.
I see my finished platinum print (in the viewfinder) in all its desired qualities, before my exposure.
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