The art of storytelling and filmmaking has more to it than what meets the eye. It is not just a creative process. It is a call that you make when you hear your intuition over conscience. Yes, there is a difference between the two, and Hollywood’s ace filmmaker, beloved director, the man behind ‘Jaws,’ ‘Jurassic Park,’ ‘Indiana Jones, ‘ ‘E.T.’ and more, has highlighted what separates intuition and conscience. He said, “I want to be clear that your intuition is different from your conscience. They work in tandem, but here’s the distinction: Your conscience shouts, ‘here’s what you should do,’ while your intuition whispers, ‘here’s what you could do.’”
Quote of the day by Steven Spielberg
“I want to be clear that your intuition is different from your conscience. They work in tandem, but here’s the distinction: Your conscience shouts, ‘here’s what you should do,’ while your intuition whispers, ‘here’s what you could do.’”The ‘Disclosure Day’ filmmaker, Steven Spielberg, shared these words of wisdom while he was speaking to the Harvard Alumni Association and members of the Class of 2016 during his Commencement address. He highlighted how listening to your inner voice, trusting your intuition, is the most important thing you can do.
What exactly did Steven Spielberg say?
While encouraging the young minds, he shared an anecdote from his own life and shared, “Parents and professors fill our heads with wisdom and information, and then employers and mentors take their place and explain how this world really works. And usually these voices of authority make sense, but sometimes, doubt starts to creep into our heads and into our hearts.” “And even when we think, ‘that’s not quite how I see the world,’ it’s kind of easier to just nod in agreement and go along, and for a while, I let that going along define my character. Because I was repressing my own point of view, because, like in that Nilsson song, ‘Everybody was talkin’ at me, so I couldn’t hear the echoes of my mind,’” he added. Narrating how things changed for him, what was the decision that brought all the difference, he said, “At first, the internal voice I needed to listen to was hardly audible, and it was hardly noticeable — kind of like me in high school. But then I started paying more attention, and my intuition kicked in.”He then further explained, “And I want to be clear that your intuition is different from your conscience. They work in tandem, but here’s the distinction: Your conscience shouts, ‘here’s what you should do,’ while your intuition whispers, ‘here’s what you could do.’ Listen to that voice that tells you what you could do. Nothing will define your character more than that.”This helped Steven become the filmmaker that he is today. He confessed, “Because once I turned to my intuition, and I tuned into it, certain projects began to pull me into them, and others, I turned away from.”
The meaning behind Steven Spielberg’s quote
When Steven said, “I want to be clear that your intuition is different from your conscience,” it was self-explanatory. Our consciousness is ruled by our mind. It puts everything on a moral and emotional compass and judges what is right and wrong. On the one hand, it is very important to know what your conscience is saying to you; on the other hand, it is more essential to hear what your inner voice is telling you.He clarified, “They work in tandem,” which means they operate in coordination, one behind another, “but here’s the distinction: Your conscience shouts, ‘here’s what you should do,’ while your intuition whispers, ‘here’s what you could do.’” Your intuition sets you free; it gives you the wings to act on your potential and sometimes allows you to go beyond it. This is what ultimately defines your character.
About Steven Spielberg
The Oscar Award-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg is one of the most influential personalities in Hollywood. According to IMDb, he has won 220 titles across different awards and genres, and so far has 358 prestigious nominations in his name. Coming to his work, his first major directorial effort was the 1974 release ‘The Sugarland Express’. It gave him the status of a rising star in the industry. Believe it or not, that was a mere start, as what came next made him an international superstar among directors. We are talking about one of his most popular and loved movies, the classic shark-attack film, ‘Jaws’. He then explores the unexplored land of UFO stories and, in 1977, came up with ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind.’ Even his upcoming release is also about extraterrestrial life, titled ‘Disclosure Day.’ Starring Emily Blunt, the movie is slated to be released on June 12, 2026.
