--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There’s one kind of writing that’s always…" description: "\"“There’s one kind of writing that’s always easy: Picking out something obviously stupid and reiterating how stupid it obviously is. This is the lowest ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a78/chuck-klosterman-804_criticism_there-s-one-kind-of-writing-that-s-alway_2928009.jpg" --- # There’s one kind of writing that’s always easy: Picking… ![“There’s one kind of writing that’s always easy: Picking out something obviously stupid and reiterating how stupid it obviously is. This is the lowest form of criticism, easily accomplished by anyone. And for most of my life, I have tried to avoid this. In fact, I’ve spend an inordinate amount of…” quote by Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a78/chuck-klosterman-804_criticism_there-s-one-kind-of-writing-that-s-alway_2928009.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a78/chuck-klosterman-804_criticism_there-s-one-kind-of-writing-that-s-alway_2928009.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a78/chuck-klosterman-804_criticism_there-s-one-kind-of-writing-that-s-alway_2928009.jpg) > ““There’s one kind of writing that’s always easy: Picking out something obviously stupid and reiterating how stupid it obviously is. This is the lowest form of criticism, easily accomplished by anyone. And for most of my life, I have tried to avoid this. In fact, I’ve spend an inordinate amount of time searching for the underrated value in ostensibly stupid things. I understand Turtle’s motivation and I would have watched Medelin in the theater. I read Mary Worth every day for a decade. I’ve seen Korn in concert three times and liked them once. I went to The Day After Tomorrow on opening night. I own a very expensive robot that doesn’t do anything. I am open to the possibility that everyting has metaphorical merit, and I see no point in sardonically attacking the most predictable failures within any culture.”” [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The writer critiques superficial criticism, preferring to find value in seemingly trivial or absurd cultural artifacts, rejecting easy mockery. **In simple terms:** Seek depth beyond obvious stupidity. Key Takeaway Find merit in the mundane. Themes culture criticism depth humor Mood analytical witty critical Type cultural philosophical When to use this quote - film reviews - music criticism - pop culture analysis - art appreciation Key Concepts media studies post‑modernism value of the mundane Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate genuine insight from sarcasm? - What role does humor play in cultural critique? A Different Perspective Finding value in the trivial can be subjective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Criticism Easily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism-easily-2061118/) [Day After Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-after-tomorrow/) [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Opening night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opening-night/) [Ostensibly Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ostensibly-stupid-4301256/) [Point Sardonically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-sardonically-4301255/) [Reiterating Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reiterating-stupid-4301253/) [Stupid Reiterating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid-reiterating-4301254/) [Stupid things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid-things/) [Te Amo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/te-amo/) [Three times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three-times/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [You see an artist, a creative person, can accept criticism or can live with the criticism much more easily than with being ignored. Criticism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/you-see-an-artist-a-creative-person-can-accept-criticism-or-can-live/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [Usually, English personalities are difficult; they dont take criticism easily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-makarova/usually-english-personalities-are-difficult-they-dont-take-criticism/) [Natalia Makarova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-makarova/) > [Usually, English personalities are difficult; they don't take criticism easily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-makarova/usually-english-personalities-are-difficult-they-don-t-take-criticism/) [Natalia Makarova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-makarova/) > [“Learn to brush off criticism as easily as you brush aside hollow compliments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/learn-to-brush-off-criticism-as-easily-as-you-brush-aside-hollow/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“Criticism is something you can easily avoid by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/criticism-is-something-you-can-easily-avoid-by-saying-nothing-doing/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [I'm anxious to see what the atmosphere's going to be like, ... It was pretty wild for the preseason games, but I'm sure they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-paul/i-m-anxious-to-see-what-the-atmosphere-s-going-to-be-like-it-was/) [Chris Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-paul/) > [I was seventeen and the star of my high school play. I was supposed to kiss my leading man, but I couldn't stand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-mills/i-was-seventeen-and-the-star-of-my-high-school-play-i-was-supposed-to/) [Donna Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-mills/) > [Notwithstanding these setbacks, the dream of a beautiful American orchestra goes on, and I share Dr. King's faith that each year we move inexorably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-schiff/notwithstanding-these-setbacks-the-dream-of-a-beautiful-american/) [Adam Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-schiff/) > [There's nothing like an opening night or like the curtain going up and having a full house, but also having weeks and weeks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aidan-turner/there-s-nothing-like-an-opening-night-or-like-the-curtain-going-up/) [Aidan Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aidan-turner/) > [The earliest memories I have from my childhood are of my mum getting ready to go on stage. I must have been about five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-bardem/the-earliest-memories-i-have-from-my-childhood-are-of-my-mum-getting/) [Javier Bardem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-bardem/) > [But you certainly don't have perspective. And there's so much pressure going into that opening night because you know there's journalists, tons of acquisitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ponsoldt/but-you-certainly-don-t-have-perspective-and-there-s-so-much-pressure/) [James Ponsoldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ponsoldt/) > [If you ever watch me at theatre rehearsals, you will know what a bad actress I am. I am bad... bad... bad... and then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarita-choudhury/if-you-ever-watch-me-at-theatre-rehearsals-you-will-know-what-a-bad/) [Sarita Choudhury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarita-choudhury/) > [I'm a total Twihard. I read all the books and saw every movie on opening night with my mom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassie-scerbo/i-m-a-total-twihard-i-read-all-the-books-and-saw-every-movie-on/) [Cassie Scerbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassie-scerbo/) > [I went to see 'Listen to My Heart: The Songs of David Friedman.' I have been a fan of his music for years, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edward/i-went-to-see-listen-to-my-heart-the-songs-of-david-friedman-i-have/) [John Edward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edward/) > [Of course it does on opening night, but I've never had that devastating stage fright that some people get, but apparently, you can develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/of-course-it-does-on-opening-night-but-i-ve-never-had-that/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) ## More by Chuck Klosterman > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“I suppose we'll never know what really happened in that room, though he did tell police, "I did it because I'm a dirty dog."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/i-suppose-we-ll-never-know-what-really-happened-in-that-room-though/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Do you know people who insist they like 'all kinds of music'? That actually means they like no kinds of music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/do-you-know-people-who-insist-they-like-all-kinds-of-music-that/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Let's say Twitter existed during the Civil War. We would have a better understanding of people in the Confederacy who were against slavery, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/let-s-say-twitter-existed-during-the-civil-war-we-would-have-a-better/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [All my friends are rock critics, so we talk about rock criticism a lot. 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And if you do that convincingly enough, others will love you too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/first-you-must-love-yourself-and-if-you-do-that-convincingly-enough/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Anyone who claims to be good at lying is obviously bad at lying. Thus - as a writer myself - I cannot comment on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/anyone-who-claims-to-be-good-at-lying-is-obviously-bad-at-lying-thus/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“I care about strangers when they're abstractions but feel almost nothing when they are literally in front of me. They seem like unnamed characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/i-care-about-strangers-when-they-re-abstractions-but-feel-almost/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“Toby Keith writes songs like 1993's "Should've Been a Cowboy," and what's compelling is that you can't deconstruct its message. "Should've Been a Cowboy"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/toby-keith-writes-songs-like-1993-s-should-ve-been-a-cowboy-and-what/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Some say that time is like water that flows around us (like a stone in the river) and some say we flow with time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/some-say-that-time-is-like-water-that-flows-around-us-like-a-stone-in/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [ \[On political correctness:\] Any intended message mattered less than the received message, and every received message could be interpreted in whatever way the receiver… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/on-political-correctness-any-intended-message-mattered-less-than-the/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [In baseball and sex, cliches are usually true: pitching beats hitting, and people always want to be loved by anyone who doesn't seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/in-baseball-and-sex-cliches-are-usually-true-pitching-beats-hitting/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) [Explore all 364 Chuck Klosterman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) ## More Criticism quotes > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. I think people are conditioned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-tyrnauer/i-reject-criticism-because-the-last-thing-i-wanted-was-to-sit-there/) [Matt Tyrnauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-tyrnauer/) > [I'm more comfortable modelling as a man because I don't get any criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rain-dove/i-m-more-comfortable-modelling-as-a-man-because-i-don-t-get-any/) [Rain Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rain-dove/) > [I don't mind positive criticism, but when it is negative and personal, it is quite hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inzamam-ul-haq/i-don-t-mind-positive-criticism-but-when-it-is-negative-and-personal/) [Inzamam-ul-Haq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inzamam-ul-haq/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Everything is allowable in literature, but what is not allowable in criticism is objection on the grounds of probability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/everything-is-allowable-in-literature-but-what-is-not-allowable-in/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [Lots of relationships fail because we spend more time pointing out each other's mistakes and not enough time enjoying each other's company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lots-of-relationships-fail-because-we-spend-more-time-pointing-out/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [No man can be criticised but by a greater than he. Do not, then, read the reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/no-man-can-be-criticised-but-by-a-greater-than-he-do-not-then-read/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [People believe that criticism should be objective, whatever that means, but I really don't understand what people mean by that. I guess if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/people-believe-that-criticism-should-be-objective-whatever-that-means/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [I welcome criticism. I come from a - I wouldn't say mean, but you've got to have tough skin to be in my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saweetie/i-welcome-criticism-i-come-from-a-i-wouldn-t-say-mean-but-you-ve-got/) [Saweetie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saweetie/) > [The good author is he who contemplates without marked joy or excessive sorrow the adventures of his soul amongst criticisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-good-author-is-he-who-contemplates-without-marked-joy-or/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) [Browse all 3,954 Criticism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There’s one kind of writing that’s always easy: Picking out something obviously stupid and reiterating how stupid it obviously is. This is the lowest form of criticism, easily accomplished by anyone. And for most of my life, I have tried to avoid this. In fact, I’ve spend an inordinate amount of time searching for the underrated value in ostensibly stupid things. I understand Turtle’s motivation and I would have watched Medelin in the theater. I read Mary Worth every day for a decade. I’ve seen Korn in concert three times and liked them once. I went to The Day After Tomorrow on opening night. I own a very expensive robot that doesn’t do anything. 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