You know the saying “never meet your heroes”? According to Christian Bale, he’s the poster child for it.

The Oscar-winning actor recently admitted he can literally see the disappointment in fans’ eyes when they meet him in real life.

“I see it in people’s eyes when they’ve watched my movies and loved them, and then they meet me,” Bale said. “I see their eyes, that terrible disappointment about who I really am. And it’s true. What a disappointment. That’s me at my best in the movie. Never meet me.”

Ouch.

Bale says the feeling goes both ways. He avoids meeting actors he admires because he prefers to keep the magic intact.

“I don’t want to meet people I see in films. I like seeing them just as they are,” he explained. “They’re heroic in what they do, but give them a break. Nobody can be a hero all the time.”

Basically, Batman says lower your expectations.