Octavia E. Butler Quotes

What I do is sometimes - at least in Germany - met with wounding campaigns. I always face the question: should I grow myself a thick skin and ignore it, or should I let myself be wounded? I've decided to be wounded, since, if I grew a thick skin, there are other things I wouldn't feel any more.

I'm not thick-skinned at all, and of course I'm hurt by people attacking me as a person.

When I'm called unkind... that really cuts to the quick. You can say anything else that you like about me.

You read glowing things and it doesn't feel deserved. You read things that are critical and it cuts you to the bone.

Critics can say horrible things. It only hurts when I agree with them.

I took it personal. I got slammed quite a bit.

Some of the things written about me hurt, but there is nothing I can do about it.

I'm very sensitive to criticism, particularly when it's very, very personal.

Actually, I was a little rejected at first. I kind of got slapped down.

When criticism comes your way as an actor they are not criticizing your writing or your painting or your piece, they are criticizing you! It is hard to put that away in a place where you are not hurt.

I was very vulnerable to criticism for many years. I could read a bad review and remember it my whole life.

It doesn't feel good when you're put down, and especially for no uncertain reason.

I don't mind being criticized. I enjoy being criticized personally, not by rumor.

You know, for years I used to read about myself. They'd say, 'He has a temper' or 'He's a bully' or something like that, and it always bothered me.

I've been as critically rubbished as acclaimed and the worst thing about that is that it usually plays into your own self-criticism.

It's hard when you read an article saying bad things about you. It is as if someone is sticking a knife on your heart. But I am the harshest critic of my work.

Love always had my number. I could never patch a breakup together with whiskey and a one-night stand. I took them real hard.

One bad review can destroy me. It hurts so bad.

I think that it's okay to be mad at someone who hurt you. This isn't about, like, the pageantry of trying to seem like nothing affects you.

There's always going to be something said that hurts you.

It never gets easier to tell your story. Each time you speak it, you relive it.

Pain's always been the root of my music. I just write what I feel.

Criticism only hurts when there's some truth in it.

During my playing days, when I used to see the repeat telecast of my matches, I used to feel bad on hearing criticism of my game by the commentators.

We have to lower our guard and know saying something's wrong isn't a bad thing.