"Sometimes it's literally just a feeling that you get that somebody is more interested than someone else; and they may both say they're interested, but you get a feeling"
About this Quote
Sometimes the difference between two identical answers is a temperature you can feel. Both people say they are interested, yet one brings an energy that pulls you in while the other leaves the air flat. John Badham spent decades in rooms where those shades of commitment matter: casting sessions, pitch meetings, first rehearsals, late-night problem solving on set. From Saturday Night Fever to WarGames, he learned that words are the least reliable part of the exchange. Curiosity, readiness, hunger, and courage leak through in tone, eye contact, follow-up questions, and the specificity of preparation. What registers is not a syllable but a charge.
That feeling is not magic; it is condensed experience. After enough repetitions, the brain starts thin-slicing dozens of cues at once and returning a verdict you experience as a hunch. In creative work, where collaboration, stamina, and trust decide outcomes, that hunch can be the most accurate instrument you own. The person who is truly interested will imagine solutions with you, volunteer risks, and push the idea farther. The one who only sounds interested will repeat your words back to you and wait for the next safe move.
Badham’s line also carries a warning. Instinct can be brilliant, but it can also be biased. The responsible use of that feeling is to notice it, then test it. Does the person’s behavior back it up? Do they show up early, ask precise questions, send thoughtful notes, and keep momentum between meetings? When instinct and evidence align, you have a partner worth betting on.
At heart, the observation affirms an old truth of human work: the most important decisions hinge on commitment you cannot fully quantify. The job is to develop a sensitive instrument for it, remain humble about its limits, and let it guide you toward the people whose interest is not performative but real.
That feeling is not magic; it is condensed experience. After enough repetitions, the brain starts thin-slicing dozens of cues at once and returning a verdict you experience as a hunch. In creative work, where collaboration, stamina, and trust decide outcomes, that hunch can be the most accurate instrument you own. The person who is truly interested will imagine solutions with you, volunteer risks, and push the idea farther. The one who only sounds interested will repeat your words back to you and wait for the next safe move.
Badham’s line also carries a warning. Instinct can be brilliant, but it can also be biased. The responsible use of that feeling is to notice it, then test it. Does the person’s behavior back it up? Do they show up early, ask precise questions, send thoughtful notes, and keep momentum between meetings? When instinct and evidence align, you have a partner worth betting on.
At heart, the observation affirms an old truth of human work: the most important decisions hinge on commitment you cannot fully quantify. The job is to develop a sensitive instrument for it, remain humble about its limits, and let it guide you toward the people whose interest is not performative but real.
Quote Details
| Topic | Romantic |
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