Quotes About Self-criticism

I'm not afraid to blame myself for any of my own faults or just to analyze things in a different way, but I don't overanalyze, either.

I hate watching my own work... I find a lot of faults.

I do not take to the field to defend myself from certain criticisms. If I do, in this kind of career, it is because I'm very self-critical.

I'm still very critical of myself in film.

Whenever you make a movie, when it's done, as a filmmaker, you never sit there and say, 'Boy, I really got that right.' It's, 'Where did I screw up?'

I'd rather point a finger at myself than others.

You finish a movie and you think, there, you've done it, really well, or best you can. But if you watch it, you see it was just bollocks.

I'm the first one to always criticize myself, and I'm trying to find ways to get better.

I'm quite gregarious. But when it comes to relationships, I mean, I'm no good at it. I suck at it. And people say I'm way too hard on myself, but I always feel like somebody else is going to say it if I don't. Why not just beat them to the punch so it doesn't hurt so much?

No, it's not comfortable; I hate watching myself. You don't like when you hear your voice on your voicemail; imagine having to see yourself 30 feet wide and 30 feet big.

My first book is called 'Carry the Three.' It's definitely in a drawer, and it's terrible. I never sent it to anybody. My wife read it, but nobody else.

The biggest challenge for me has been in coping with my perfectionism. I have a stiflingly hard time moving forward in a project if it's not 'just right' all along the way. The trap I so easily fall into is rewriting and rewriting the same scenes over and over to make them perfect, instead of continuing on into the wild unknown of the story.

I've heard that many fine artists have to turn their 'finished' paintings to face the wall - otherwise, every time they walk past, they are tempted to pick up a brush and make small adjustments here and there.

I have a hard time listening to things I've recorded. I don't necessarily go back and enjoy it. Occasionally I'll have the iPod on shuffle and something will come on. Nine times out of ten I'll wince and go on to the next one.

I tend to take negative comments to heart.

I definitely have a tendency to only see the blemishes of things, and see lots of things about my acting that I don't like.

I have a tendency to become very self-critical.

We overweight people, we say terrible things to ourselves. Oh, you wouldn't believe it. 'You fat pig. How can you do this? You're a disgusting jerk.' And that gets you nowhere. That gets you right back into a bowl of pasta fregula.

I know it's a terrible habit, but if I get a pimple, I'll sit in front of the mirror and pick at it for hours.

I was a terrible actor. The analytical part of my mind never quite let go.

The problem is you tend to look back and identify mistakes, and as a consequence of feeling terrible about mistakes you say you bungled this so bad, let's get out of here.

I hated painting, and I quit right after high school because I was continually told how terrific I was... it made me feel shaky.

When people come to me and tell me I was terrific in this or that, I do not want to fall flat on my face the next time. But, tough, I have fallen flat before. You just get up and dust yourself off.

Anxiety, the next gumption trap, is sort of the opposite of ego. You're so sure you'll do everything wrong you're afraid to do anything at all. Often this, rather than "laziness" is the real reason you find it hard to get started