One becomes a critic when one cannot be an artist, just as a man becomes a stool pigeon when he cannot be a soldier.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- People become critics when they cannot create, just as they become informants when they cannot fight.
- In plain terms
- Critics and informants arise from inability to be the primary actor.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize criticism can stem from personal frustration.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What distinguishes constructive criticism from resentment?
- How can creators respond healthily?
Another view
Not all critics are motivated by inability.
More from Gustave Flaubert
Quelle atroce invention que celle du bourgeois, n'est-ce pas?
Permalink to quote #2 An author in his book must be like God in the universe, present everywhere and visible nowhere.
Permalink to quote #4 One must not always think that feeling is everything. Art is nothing without form.
Permalink to quote #1
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