Screen credit is valuable only when it's given you. If you're in a position to give yourself credit, you don't need it.
Interpretation
True recognition is meaningful when it's acknowledged by others; self-acknowledgment diminishes that need.
In this quote, Irving Thalberg emphasizes the importance of external validation in achieving success. He suggests that when you are capable of recognizing your own achievements and giving yourself credit, the opinions and recognition of others become less significant, as self-gratification and validation can suffice in feeling successful.
In practice
In a speech about personal growth, one might use this quote to illustrate the importance of self-validation over external praise.
Super Bowl XXXII was a victory made long before stepping on that field in San Diego in 1998. It was earned with my brother guiding me as a kid in Glennville, Ga., and as a seventh-round pick out of Savannah State. Even at the pinnacle, that ring was always his.
If you were born poor, it's not your fault. But if you die poor it is.
The key factor that will determine your financial future is not the economy; the key factor is your philosophy.
Adequacy is the enemy of excellence.
I too shall lie in the dust when I am dead, but now let me win noble renown.
Money is a tool – it’s the means, not the end. Inspiration is the metric that dictates whether or not a project is a success. It’s more realistic than trying to aim for radio play, or trying to satisfy an AR, or the other gatekeepers on these platforms. I don’t even know how to create with those things in mind. But if you tell me the goal is to inspire? That makes my job a lot easier.
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