Robert Christgau Quotes

Upon reflection, I decided I had three main weaknesses: I was confused (evidenced by a lack of facts, an inability to coordinate my thoughts, and an inability to verbalize my ideas); I had a lack of confidence, which cause me to back down from forcefully stated positions; and I was overly emotional at the expense of careful, 'scientific' though. I was thirty-seven years old and still discovering who I was.

Get to know yourself. Know your own failings, passions, and prejudices so you can separate them from what you see. Know also when you actually have thought through to the nature of the thing with which you are dealing and when you are not thinking at all... Knowing yourself and knowing the facts, you can judge whether you can change the situation so it is more to your liking. If you cannot--or if you do not know how to improve on things--then discipline yourself to the adjustments that will be necessary.

I went through so many things personally, emotionally and mentally during that time off that I know that I'm better for it now and I think I'm a better athlete because of that.

'What am I missing?' is a much more important question than 'How cool am I?'

You have to attempt to be objective about yourself.

I find it valuable to watch what I do. I like to know when I'm making a choice if it actually works or not.

If you don't second-guess yourself, then you are not trying to get better.

For eleven months and maybe about twenty days each year, we concentrate upon the shortcomings of others, but for a few days at the turn of the New Year we look at our own. It is a good habit.

The latter part of a wise person's life is occupied with curing the follies, prejudices and false opinions they contracted earlier.

The key thing is you can be the only person, your own critic.

I've always been a very self-aware person.

Self-awareness is not the same thing as self-approval, any more than imagination is the same thing as day-dreaming.

I don't choose to analyze what I have done and I think that is the right choice, because then I won't be spending my time creating.

He that never changes his opinion never corrects mistakes and will never be wiser on the morrow than he is today.

You can be self-empowered and still learning about how you think about things daily.

Through writing, through that process, they realize that they become more intelligent, and more honest and more imaginative than they can be in any other part of their life.

Self criticism must be my guide to action, and the first rule for its employment is that in itself it is not a virtue, only a procedure.

I am a scholar of life. Every night before I go to sleep, I analyze every detail of what I did that day. I evaluate things and people, which helps me avoid mistakes.

Observe all men, thyself most.

I'm my own severest critic, and I realize when I make mistakes.

You never really learn much from hearing yourself talk.

I don't think or write from big ideals.

I reflect over my actions; I don't dwell on them.

I'm not afraid to blame myself for any of my own faults or just to analyze things in a different way, but I don't overanalyze, either.

I am absolutely my own biggest critic.