“Mere abuse is no criticism.”

“The present moment is ever the critical time. The future is merely for intelligent forethought.”

Robert Barr (writer) (1849–1912) Scottish-Canadian novelist

“It is peculiar to “ressentiment criticism” that it does not seriously desire that its demands be fulfilled. It does not want to cure the evil. The evil is merely the pretext for the criticism.”

Max Scheler (1874–1928) German philosopher

“Decadence is a difficult word to use since it has become little more than a term of abuse applied by critics to anything they do not yet understand or which seems to differ from their moral concepts.”

Ernest Hemingway book Death in the Afternoon

“The last sort I shall mention are verbal critics — mere word-catchers, fellows that pick out a word in a sentence and a sentence in a volume, and tell you it is wrong. The title of Ultra-Crepidarian critics has been given to a variety of this species.”

William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English writer

“I am more the inspirational type of speller. I work on hunches rather than mere facts, and the result is sometimes open to criticism by purists.”

Robert Benchley (1889–1945) American comedian

“As to abuse, I thrive on it. Abuse, hearty abuse, is a tonic to all save men of indifferent health.”

Norman Douglas (1868–1952) British writer

“All those who are not criticized, err. Those who are not watched, abuse. Those who are spoiled, become fat. Those who are applauded, are puffed up. A true superiority of spirit is needed to save oneself from those consequences.”

Daniel Salamanca (1863–1935) President of Bolivia (1863-1935)

“For the man who considers himself the best critic generally studies sound and unsound composition with equal interest, being no more greedy for lofty utterances to praise than for contemptible ones to ridicule. In this way technique, grandeur, and propriety in the use of the Latin language are particularly underrated by the armchair critics, who, with an insensibility which goes hand in hand with scurrility, and wishing to read only what they may criticize, cannot, by their very abuse of literature, be making a proper use of it.”
Nam qui maxume doctus sibi videtur, dictionem sanam et insanam ferme appetitu pari revolvit, non amplius concupiscens erecta quae laudet quam despecta quae rideat. atque in hunc modum scientia pompa proprietas linguae Latinae iudiciis otiosorum maximo spretui est, quorum scurrilitati neglegentia comes hoc volens tantum legere, quod carpat, sic non utitur litteris, quod abutitur.

Sidonius Apollinaris (430–489) Gaulish poet, aristocrat and bishop

“Merely to critically attack religious beliefs is not sufficient. It leaves a vacuum. What are you for? We know what you're against, but what do you want to defend?”

Paul Kurtz (1925–2012) American professor of philosophy