Nothing is as peevish and pedantic as men’s judgments of one another.
—Desiderius Erasmus (c.1469–1536) Dutch Humanist, Scholar
You do ill if you praise, but worse if you censure what you do not rightly understand.
—Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) Italian Polymath, Painter, Sculptor, Inventor, Architect
You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
I have never believed that the critic is the rival of the poet, but I do believe that criticism is a genre of literature or it does not exist.
—Harold Bloom (1930–2019) American Literary Critic, Author
Let us consider the critic, therefore, as a discoverer of discoveries.
—Milan Kundera (b.1929) Czech Novelist
Many receive a criticism and think it is fine; think they got their money’s worth; think well of the teacher for it, and then go on with their work just the same as before. That is the reason much of the wisdom of Plato is still locked up in the pages of Plato.
—Robert Henri (1865–1929) American Painter, Teacher
Most of us are umpires at heart; we like to call balls and strikes on somebody else.
—Leo Aikman (1908–78) American Columnist
The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
Think before you speak is criticism’s motto; speak before you think, creation’s.
—E. M. Forster (1879–1970) English Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist
Each generation produces its squad of “moderns” with peashooters to attack Gibraltar.
—Channing Pollock (1880–1946)
American Playwright, Critic
Do what you feel in your heart to be right—for you’ll be criticized anyway. You’ll be damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American First Lady, Diplomat, Humanitarian
There is a certain justice in criticism. The critic is like a midwife—a tyrannical midwife.
—Stephen Spender (1909–95) English Poet, Critic
Every human being is entitled to courtesy and consideration. Constructive criticism is not only to be expected but sought.
—Margaret Chase Smith (1897–1995) American Politician
They criticize me for harping on the obvious – If all the folks in the United States would do the few simple things they know they ought to do, most of our big problems would take care of themselves
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933) American Head of State, Lawyer
For if there is anything to one’s praise, it is foolish vanity to be gratified at it, and if it is abuse—why one is always sure to hear of it from one damned good-natured friend or another!
—Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816) Irish-born British Playwright, Poet, Elected Rep
Before you go and criticize the younger generation, just remember who raised them.
—Unknown
Give a critic an inch, he’ll write a play.
—John Steinbeck (1902–68) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Journalist
The most noble criticism is that in which the critic is not the antagonist so much as the rival of the author.
—Isaac D’Israeli (1766–1848) English Writer, Scholar
Criticism is an indirect form of self-boasting.
—Emmet Fox (1886–1951) Irish-American New Thought Leader
In all life one should comfort the afflicted, but verily, also, one should afflict the comfortable, and especially when they are comfortably, contentedly, even happily wrong.
—John Kenneth Galbraith (1908–2006) Canadian-Born American Economist
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
Critics search for ages for the wrong word, which, to give them credit, they eventually find.
—Peter Ustinov (1921–2004) British Actor, Playwright, Director
Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
A reader who quarrels with postulates, who dislikes Hamlet because he does not believe that there are ghosts or that people speak in pentameters, clearly has no business in literature. He cannot distinguish fiction from fact, and belongs in the same category as the people who send checks to radio stations for the relief of suffering heroines in soap operas.
—Northrop Frye
Prolonged, indiscriminate reviewing of books is a quite exceptionally thankless, irritating and exhausting job. It not only involves praising trash but constantly inventing reactions towards books about which one has no spontaneous feeling whatever.
—George Orwell (1903–50) English Novelist, Journalist
A critic is a man who knows the way but can’t drive the car.
—Kenneth Tynan (1927–80) English Theatre Critic, Writer
To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
A critic is a legless man who teaches running.
—Channing Pollock (1880–1946)
American Playwright, Critic
A good writer is not necessarily a good book critic. No more so than a good drunk is automatically a good bartender.
—Jim Bishop (1907–87) American Journalist, Author
No sadder proof can be given by a man of his own littleness than disbelief in great men.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
A sneer is the weapon of the weak. Like other devil’s weapons, it is always cunningly ready to our hand, and there is more poison in the handle than in the point.
—James Russell Lowell (1819–91) American Poet, Critic
There is no defense against criticism except obscurity.
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719) English Essayist, Poet, Playwright, Politician
A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past; he is one who is prematurely disappointed in the future.
—Sydney J. Harris (1917–86) American Essayist, Drama Critic
If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise
—Unknown
It is from the womb of art that criticism was born.
—Charles Baudelaire (1821–67) French Poet, Art Critic, Essayist, Translator
A good review from the critics is just another stay of execution.
—Dustin Hoffman (b.1937) American Actor, Filmmaker
I saw the only rational method of art criticism I have ever come across … Please do not shoot the pianist. He is doing his best. The mortality among pianists in that place is marvellous.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
What the public criticizes in you, cultivate. It is you.
—Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) French Poet, Playwright, Film Director
Men in authority will always think that criticism of their policies is dangerous. They will always equate their policies with patriotism, and find criticism subversive.
—Henry Steele Commager (1902–98) American Historian, Academic
The public is the only critic whose opinion is worth anything at all.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Reviewers, with some rare exceptions, are a most stupid and malignant race. As a bankrupt thief turns thief-taker in despair, so an unsuccessful author turns critic.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) English Poet, Dramatist, Essayist, Novelist
There is one way to handle the ignorant and malicious critic. Ignore him.
—Unknown
You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.
—John Wooden (1910–2010) American Sportsperson
It is impossible to think of a man of any actual force and originality, universally recognized as having those qualities, who spent his whole life appraising and describing the work of other men.
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
In my conscience I believe the baggage loves me, for she never speaks well of me herself, nor suffers any body else to rail at me.
—William Congreve (1670–1729) English Playwright, Poet
Criticism should not be querulous and wasting, all knife and root-puller, but guiding, instructive, inspiring.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
It’s too easy to criticize a man when he’s out of favor, and to make him shoulder the blame for everybody else’s mistakes.
—Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) Russian Novelist
It is harder to avoid censure than to gain applause, for this may be done by one great or wise action in an age; but to escape censure a man must pass his whole life without saying or doing one ill or foolish thing.
—David Hume (1711–76) Scottish Philosopher, Historian
They will say you are on the wrong road, if it is your own.
—Antonio Porchia (1885–1968) Italian Poet
Those who can—do. Those who can’t—criticize.
—Indian Proverb