Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Eastwood shares advice on the power of presence and restraint in acting.
In plain terms
Sometimes doing nothing is more powerful than taking action.
What can you take from it?
Restraint can be a strong dramatic tool.

Where it applies

  • performance
  • leadership
  • conflict resolution

Putting it to work

  • pause before speaking
  • listen more
  • hold your ground

Questions to consider

  • When is doing nothing better?
  • How do you build presence?

Another view

Inaction is not always appropriate in real life.

More from Clint Eastwood

  1. There's only one way to have a happy marriage and as soon as I learn what it is I'll get married again.

    Permalink to quote #2
  2. Go ahead, make my day. (from Sudden Impact)

    Permalink to quote #3
  3. Dyin' ain't much of a livin', boy.

    Permalink to quote #4

Related quotes

  1. The older Keaton got, the more one could see eternity in his look.

    Buster KeatonBuster Keaton quote #22
  2. With his dark, sensitive looks, his face in repose evoking years of quiet contemplation, he resembled a mixture of Buddhist monk and fashion model. He offered …

    Buster KeatonBuster Keaton quote #32
  3. O time, arrest your flight! and you, propitious hours, arrest your course! Let us savor the fleeting delights of our most beautiful days!

    Alphonse de LamartineAlphonse de Lamartine quote #1