Quotes About Criticism

Some book reviewer whose name I forget recently called me a 'vicious misanthrope' . . . or maybe it was a 'cynical misanthrope'. . . but either way, he (or she) was right; and what got me this way was politics .

And the whole Bush family, from Texas, should be boiled in poisoned oil.

Hubert Humphrey is a treacherous, gutless old ward-heeler who should be put in a goddamn bottle and sent out with the Japanese current.

Young George spent more money on one day of his Inauguration Ceremonies than Richard Nixon did on his whole Campaign in 1972—and Nixon was crucified as a Criminal Spendthrift with the ethics of a snake.

One can sympathize with the sentiment of Pakistanis who must constantly defend their country against criticism ranging from questioning of its very creation to its current policies. But it is equally important to understand that mere survival does not equate success and that progress often requires uninhibited introspection.

Building upon this early conception of the Church, Christians came to think of it as having a double aspect. Insofar as it consists of Christ and the Holy Spirit dwelling in people and suffusing them with grace and love, it is perfect. Insofar as it consists of fallible human members, it always falls short of perfection.9 The worldly face of the Church is always open to criticism. But its mistakes, Christians hold, have been due to the human material through which it works.

Besides, it was all very well to criticise the works of others, but in fact it was quite hard, he discovered, to tell a story.

Whose repeated remarks are a witless, thrustless dribble, whose impoverished sentences die like motherless chicks, cheaply fading.

Anyone middle-aged or older could remember the repressive censorship regime imposed during the First World War. The "dignity" of President Woodrow Wilson had been held inviolable, and any criticism of the president or his policies, no matter how mild or well-meaning, had been grounds to prosecute or shut down an offending newspaper.

The geographer Oren Yiftachel from Ben-Gurion University, depicted Israel as an ethnocracy, a regime governing a mixed ethnic state with a legal and formal preference for one ethnic group over all the others. Others went further, labeling Israel an apartheid state or a settler colonial state. In short, whatever description these critical scholars offered, democracy was not among them.

He finished the bandage and was examining it critically. You know those things are unreliable. His voice held just a touch of reproach. "Eleven out of twelve work fine. I'd say that's better chances than getting an orgasm with a blind date and women still try.

Just wait until he figures out I shut him out of his slut hut." The poodle whined softly. "I don't need any criticism from you. If you can go a day without barfing or destroying my house, then I might listen to what you have to say. Until then, keep your opinions to yourself." I fell back into my bed and put a pillow on my head. I'd just had a conversation with a poodle and accused him of criticizing me. Curran had finally driven me out of my mind.

What harsh judges fathers are to all young men!

Every new medium has, within a short time of its introduction, been condemned as a threat to young people. Pulp novels would destroy their morals, TV would wreck their eyesight, video games would make them violent.

It's like I say to young people who ask me about going into journalism: If you want to be loved, don't go into this business.

Liberman said to me, 'I must cut back on the work you do for Vogue. The editors don't like it. They say the photographs burn on the page . After some years, I began to understand that what they wanted of me was simply a nice, sweet, clean-looking image of a lovely young woman.

I think a lot of writing, or a lot of young writers, especially, hold themselves back unnecessarily because they're so upset about the idea that they might be sentimental or so concerned about being criticized that way or even being that way that they just shy away from any strong expression or emotion.

When I talk to students or young writers about the importance of being unafraid to take controversial positions, I'm struck by the degree to which they can't entertain a thought, much less commit one to paper, without imagining the cacophony of snark they'll get in response.

Every generation trash-talks younger generations. Baby boomers labeled Generation X a group of tattooed slackers and materialists; Generation Xers have branded millennials as iPhone-addicted brats.

We do need maybe younger or more experienced judges but where you can get them I don't know. It's like in football, who would want to be a football referee? You'd just get criticism all the time.

I get a little cranky with the whole business about kids not having attention spans. This reminds me of the usual business of thinking that the next generation is hopeless. Every generation has said that about every younger generation.

I've been criticised for writing in too complex a manner for younger people.

I think, in general, not only in Formula One but just in a lot of sports, when younger people come in and they do well, there's always a bit of talk going on. I think that's pretty normal.

I feel the worst when people comment on my family because my younger sister and mum aren't part of the film industry.