No one can tell me what is a good cigar--for me. I am the only judge... There are no standards--no real standards. Each man's preference is the only standard for him, the only one which he can accept, the only one which can command him.
Pressure is there with any release of mine. It's more my own, as I need to surpass my own expectations.
I fell far short of living up to the kind of public servant I wanted to be.
I always want people to realise that whatever I do is a quality product. And that's what's really important to me.
I have lived my life that way and I expect the people who work for me to be the same way.
I use myself as the barometer to gauge what is scary.
If I look at it and feel there is someone who can do it better, I won't do it. Whether it's 'Party Down' or 'Piranha 3-D,' I'm going to bring something to it to make it special.
My involvement with UNICEF is particularly important to me because it is UNICEF that introduced me to volunteerism, thereby helping me to set my own personal standard of contributing my time and giving back to others. Working on behalf of UNICEF's lifesaving efforts is one of my most valued roles.
When I create something, it's got to be special, and it can't just be to throw something out there because I feel like I'm Missy.
I never set myself too high a goal. It was always tone and feeling, for me.
If I can be right 75 per cent of the time I shall come up to the fullest measure of my hopes.
My ambition is to not embarrass myself--which, if you know me, is a pretty serious ambition.
We do not mean to count or weigh our contributions by any standard other than that of our abilities.
There's still a part of me that thinks I have to write a really good novel. I'm not trying to say I'm not happy with the novels I've written in the past. But it always feels to me like there's another one that I have to write that will really say what I want to say, and really paint this world that I can see hazily in my head.
I try not to measure myself against other players.
Every man should measure himself by his own standard. [Lat., Metiri se quemque suo modulo ac pede verum est.]
My father always told me, you can only be your own best. In other words, if you feel you've done your best, you've done well enough.
I hold very high expectations of myself and my work ethic.
You should do things because of what your expectations are of yourself.
I approach every single thing I do as a fan. It's the only way I can do things. That way, I never let myself down.
I'm not trying to be average.
My approach has always been to make things we were proud of.
I believe I do my job the way I have to do it.
There's no one who puts more pressure on me than myself.
I know what I think of myself and the standard I hold myself to.
