Criticism is dangerous, because it wounds a person's precious pride, hurts his sense of importance, and arouses resentment.

Criticism of others is futile and if you indulge in it often you should be warned that it can be fatal to your career.

Criticism is futile because it puts a person on the defensive and usually makes him strive to justify himself. Criticism is dangerous, because it wounds a person’s precious pride, hurts his sense of importance, and arouses resentment.

If government, or those in positions of power and authority, can silence criticism by the argument that such criticism might be misunderstood somewhere, there is an end to all criticism, and perhaps an end to our kind of political system. For 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.

People who avoid all criticism fail. It's destructive criticism we need to avoid, not criticism in all forms.

Fear of criticism is a powerful deterrent because the criticism doesn't actually have to occur for the fear to set in. Watch a few people get criticized for being innovate, and it's pretty easy to convince yourself that the very same thing will happen to you if you're not careful.

Once you've got — actually got — an idea that is whirring around so fast that no other light or contrary evidence can come in, I think it's very dangerous.

[A] theory is a very dangerous thing to have.

You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one.

The greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism

You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.

if you are not careful, you can become what you criticize

The hushing of the criticism of honest opponents is a dangerous thing. It leads some of the best of the critics to unfortunate silence and paralysis of effort, and others to burst into speech so passionately and intemperately as to lose listeners.

To silence criticism is to silence freedom.