Critics Quote by Ann Landers
“Asking a writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamp post how it feels about dogs”
About This Quote
A writer's view on critics is as irrelevant as a lamp post's feelings about dogs, highlighting the absurdity of asking unrelated entities for opinions.
In simple terms: Comparing unrelated perspectives shows futility of certain questions.
Key Takeaway
Avoid asking irrelevant parties for opinions.
Themes
communication
criticism
relevance
Mood
skeptical
wry
Type
aphor
commentary
When to use this quote
- media interviews
- creative feedback
- public relations
- customer service
- marketing research
Key Concepts
perspective
absurdity
misplaced inquiry
Questions to Reflect On
- When is it appropriate to seek feedback?
- How do you identify relevant sources?
A Different Perspective
The analogy may oversimplify nuanced criticism.
![“Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamp-post what it feels about dogs." [ Time Magazine , October 31, 1977]” quote by John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cd9/john-osborne-12988_critics_asking-a-working-writer-what-he-thinks-a_2547280.jpg)
![“Nearly all the writing of our time is likely to disappear in a hundred years. Certainly most readers - and nearly all critics - feel that [Kurt] Vonnegut started to repeat himself, to grow increasingly self-indulgent and meandering, and to sometimes just blather in his later work. But his books up…” quote by Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ed7/michael-dirda-3414_1960s_nearly-all-the-writing-of-our-time-is-li_13506.jpg)