Donald Barthelme Quotes

Self-criticism is an art not many are qualified to practice.

All censure of a man's self is oblique praise. It is in order to show how much he can spare.

I don't like being told what you're good at. I'd rather hear what I didn't do.

I don't care about people kissing my ass or telling me how great I am. I don't really give a damn. I read the bad stuff a whole lot more than I read the good stuff. I read that because there are always going to be critics who are going to say how good you aren't.

It is good to see ourselves as others see us. Try as we may, we are never able to know ourselves fully as we are, especially the evil side of us. This we can do only if we are not angry with our critics but will take in good heart whatever they might have to say.

A man has need of tough ears to hear himself fairly judged.

Self-criticism, like self-administered brain surgery, is perhaps not a good idea. Can the 'self' see the 'self' with any objectivity?

Listeners ne'er hear good of themselves.

Hearkners, we say, seldom hear good of themselves.

I try not to read about myself. Why would reading about yourself be interesting? You're only going to be told you're doing a good job and get big headed about it, or be told you're rubbish and get down in the dumps. What's the point?

The director calmed me down and told me I was being too hard on myself. He went on to say that I wasn't quite as bad as I thought, but needed to tone things down a bit.

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

As an actress, I have to be objective about myself. If I don't criticize myself, there are plenty who will do a find job of it for me!

I think that I am better than the people who are trying to reform me.

I'm my worst critic, and I like the fact that I can listen to myself now and make fun of myself, listen, make changes - 'Oh, man, that's messed up. Okay, I need to work on that; I need to work on this.'

I know my flaws before other people point them out to me.

I seldom look at myself to avoid any self-criticism.

There's something delicious about finding fault with something. And that can be including finding fault with one's self, you know?

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

I sit down with my coach to watch past performances. But I can be very critical. I don't watch myself very often - it makes me cringe!

Our own self-love draws a thick veil between us and our faults.

Frankly speaking, if I care what people write, whether it is positive or negative, I believe, personally, I'm on the wrong path.

You've got to have positives and negatives about you. I think that's a good negative, that the only thing they could say about me is my size.

I'm my biggest critic of myself when I make mistakes.

I am very self-critical and always will be. I think this makes me want to improve, always. But just because I'm self-critical and say what I thought of my performance in a game, it doesn't mean I will bring myself down, ever.