"I think my expectations for myself are much more severe and much more direct. You can't work on a film for six years without being your own toughest critic. So you can't really be distracted by the expectations based on your previous performance"

This quote by Ken Burns speaks with the significance of self-criticism and the requirement to remain concentrated on the task at hand. He recommends that expectations based upon previous performance needs to not be a distraction, and that the most essential expectations originate from within. He indicates that when working on a job for an extended period of time, it is very important to be sincere with oneself and to strive for excellence. This quote speaks with the value of setting high standards for oneself and not allowing external expectations to end up being a distraction. It is a pointer that the most important expectations originate from within and that it is essential to stay concentrated on the job at hand.