Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.

Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.

A servile race
Who, in mere want of fault, all merit place;
Who blind obedience pay to read more

A servile race
Who, in mere want of fault, all merit place;
Who blind obedience pay to ancient schools,
Bigots to Greece, and slaves to musty rules.

Though by whim, envy, or resentment led,
They damn those authors whom they never read.

Though by whim, envy, or resentment led,
They damn those authors whom they never read.

But, spite of all the criticising elves,
Those who would make us feel, must feel themselves.

But, spite of all the criticising elves,
Those who would make us feel, must feel themselves.

Criticism, as it was first instituted by Aristotle, was meant as a standard of judging well.

Criticism, as it was first instituted by Aristotle, was meant as a standard of judging well.

The strength of criticism lies in the weakness of the thing criticized.

The strength of criticism lies in the weakness of the thing criticized.

Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I read more

Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me and I may be forced to love you.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where read more

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

I criticize by creation--not by finding fault.

I criticize by creation--not by finding fault.