The Closed Mind

Many actors have a closed mind when it comes to further training. I don’t blame them, they secretly know that the techniques they were taught in the past, didn’t really work, but because of this, they’ve developed their own way of working, let’s call it luck. Luck has been pretty good to them if they’re successful, and if not well, they can always blame their previous training.

Due to this problem I believe that experienced and established actors have a closed mind to the potential benefits of further training. Not all, but most. Sometimes the opposite is true, the Lay person decides to act, and they are as filled with discrimination towards approaches to acting too.

It reminds me of the quote by Herbert Spencer:

“There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep man in everlasting ignorance. That principle is contempt prior to investigation.”

I see it everywhere, people’s contempt or fear, or fear of looking a fool or failing that prevents them from learning something new and building on what they already know. It is a deep shame that I see some tremendously gifted people go that way.

I applaud those actors who continue their training, staying ‘fit’ for performance even when they are out of work, but do not pay money blindly. There is no magic technique, but if you can find someone who speaks common sense, and is more interested in your development than your money, stick with them, they may have something to teach you.