--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Critics I don't understand. They get too…" description: "\"Critics I don't understand. They get too intellectual. They're not very well-versed in street talk; it takes them longer to say it. So they have to do ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da9/david-bowie-508_critics_critics-i-don-t-understand-they-get-too_1977406.jpg" --- # Critics I don't understand. They get too intellectual… ![“Critics I don't understand. They get too intellectual. They're not very well-versed in street talk; it takes them longer to say it. So they have to do it in dictionaries and they take longer to say it.” quote by David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da9/david-bowie-508_critics_critics-i-don-t-understand-they-get-too_1977406.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da9/david-bowie-508_critics_critics-i-don-t-understand-they-get-too_1977406.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da9/david-bowie-508_critics_critics-i-don-t-understand-they-get-too_1977406.jpg) > “Critics I don't understand. They get too intellectual. They're not very well-versed in street talk; it takes them longer to say it. So they have to do it in dictionaries and they take longer to say it.” [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker dismisses critics as overly academic and disconnected from everyday language, implying their analysis is slow and irrelevant. **In simple terms:** Critics are seen as too scholarly and out of touch. Key Takeaway Recognize criticism’s limits, focus on clear communication. Themes communication criticism intellectualism authenticity Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - social media debates - artistic feedback - political commentary Key Concepts sociolinguistics media studies public discourse Questions to Reflect On - When can intellectual critique be useful? - How do you balance clarity with depth? A Different Perspective Critics may still offer valuable insights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dictionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictionary/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) ## Related quotes > [Basic dictionaries no longer belong on paper; the greatest, the 'Oxford English Dictionary,' has nimbly remade itself in cyberspace, where it has doubled in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/basic-dictionaries-no-longer-belong-on-paper-the-greatest-the-oxford/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [Don't pay any attention to the critics - don't even ignore them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/don-t-pay-any-attention-to-the-critics-don-t-even-ignore-them/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [I write from my soul. This is the reason that critics don't hurt me, because it is me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-write-from-my-soul-this-is-the-reason-that-critics-don-t-hurt-me/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [If you want to please the critics, don't play too loud, too soft, too fast, too slow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arturo-toscanini/if-you-want-to-please-the-critics-don-t-play-too-loud-too-soft-too/) [Arturo Toscanini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arturo-toscanini/) > [The only difference between me and my critics is that I don't lie to the world about who I am. People are complicated and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-cernovich/the-only-difference-between-me-and-my-critics-is-that-i-don-t-lie-to/) [Mike Cernovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-cernovich/) > [Critics don't buy records. They get 'em free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/critics-don-t-buy-records-they-get-em-free/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [If you can't tolerate critics, don't do anything new or interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/if-you-can-t-tolerate-critics-don-t-do-anything-new-or-interesting/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [I could go anywhere in the world and people would stop me in the street and talk about 'Fringe' and how much they adored…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-noble/i-could-go-anywhere-in-the-world-and-people-would-stop-me-in-the/) [John Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-noble/) > [When we talk to someone it should be a two way street, you talk and you listen, vice versa!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-we-talk-to-someone-it-should-be-a-two-way-street-you-talk-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am seeing youts getting off the street. They talk about drill and its influence and how it's bad blah, blah, blah, but all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giggs/i-am-seeing-youts-getting-off-the-street-they-talk-about-drill-and/) [Giggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giggs/) > [Wake up: all of that 'crack in the street' talk? It's made up, like 'Jack and the Beanstalk.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-price/wake-up-all-of-that-crack-in-the-street-talk-it-s-made-up-like-jack/) [Sean Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-price/) > [It's interesting because a lot of people that stop me on the street now, and they talk about 'The Wire,' and they all have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-gilliam/it-s-interesting-because-a-lot-of-people-that-stop-me-on-the-street/) Seth Gilliam > [My songs have some street talk in them, but that's the way I talk and the way a lot of people I know talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maren-morris/my-songs-have-some-street-talk-in-them-but-that-s-the-way-i-talk-and/) [Maren Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maren-morris/) > [Ever since I was little, I would just make stories up in my mind. It was based on people I saw in the street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harmony-korine/ever-since-i-was-little-i-would-just-make-stories-up-in-my-mind-it/) [Harmony Korine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harmony-korine/) > [Don’t you love the Oxford Dictionary? When I first read it, I thought it was a really really long poem about everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/don-t-you-love-the-oxford-dictionary-when-i-first-read-it-i-thought/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) ## More by David Bowie > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [No more free steps to heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/no-more-free-steps-to-heaven/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I'm not sure whether it is me changing my mind, or whether I lie a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-not-sure-whether-it-is-me-changing-my-mind-or-whether-i-lie-a-lot/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I do some kind of work, whether writing or painting or recording, on a daily basis. And it's so essential that when I'm involved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-do-some-kind-of-work-whether-writing-or-painting-or-recording-on-a/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [To not be modest about it, you'll find that with only a couple of exceptions, most of the musicians that I've worked with have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/to-not-be-modest-about-it-you-ll-find-that-with-only-a-couple-of/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I went mainstream in a major way with the song "Let's Dance." And what I found I had done was put a box around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-went-mainstream-in-a-major-way-with-the-song-let-s-dance-and-what-i/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [“Keep your 'lectric eye on me babe Put your ray gun to my head Press your space face close to mine, love Freak out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/keep-your-lectric-eye-on-me-babe-put-your-ray-gun-to-my-head-press/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I'm in awe of the universe, but I don't necessarily believe there's an intelligence or agent behind it. I do have a passion for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-in-awe-of-the-universe-but-i-don-t-necessarily-believe-there-s-an/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [TV has eaten up everything else, and Warhol films are all that are left, which is fabulous. Pork could become the next I Love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/tv-has-eaten-up-everything-else-and-warhol-films-are-all-that-are/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [“My brain hurt like a warehouse It had no room to spare I had to cram so many things to store everything in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/my-brain-hurt-like-a-warehouse-it-had-no-room-to-spare-i-had-to-cram/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I suppose for me as an artist it wasn't always just about expressing my work; I really wanted, more than anything else, to contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-suppose-for-me-as-an-artist-it-wasn-t-always-just-about-expressing/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [... And these children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds are immune to your consultations. They're quite aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/and-these-children-that-you-spit-on-as-they-try-to-change-their/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I think the first song I ever wrote ... was called "Can't Help Thinking About Me." That's an illuminating little piece, isn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-think-the-first-song-i-ever-wrote-was-called-can-t-help-thinking/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I've come to the realizations that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing half the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-ve-come-to-the-realizations-that-i-have-absolutely-no-idea-what-i-m/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I never really felt like a rock singer or a rock star or whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-never-really-felt-like-a-rock-singer-or-a-rock-star-or-whatever/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) [Explore all 508 David Bowie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) ## More Critics quotes > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Critics are biased, and so are readers. (Indeed, a critic is a bundle of biases held loosely together by a sense of taste.) But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-balliett/critics-are-biased-and-so-are-readers-indeed-a-critic-is-a-bundle-of/) Whitney Balliett > [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/) > [Popular culture as a whole is popular, but in today's fragmented market it's a jostle of competing unpopular popular cultures. As the critic Stanley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/popular-culture-as-a-whole-is-popular-but-in-today-s-fragmented/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [There was a cultural war going on, the '60s was going on. All the film critics were square.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/there-was-a-cultural-war-going-on-the-60s-was-going-on-all-the-film/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [Capitalists have done more good for society through their charitable giving, philanthropy and generosity than all their critics combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/capitalists-have-done-more-good-for-society-through-their-charitable/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [I get that the media wants us to play theater critics and critique every other proposal. What I'm focusing on are my own policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-get-that-the-media-wants-us-to-play-theater-critics-and-critique/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [The Yippies, their lifestyle is different from mine. But I consider Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman inspired critics of the kind of society that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dellinger/the-yippies-their-lifestyle-is-different-from-mine-but-i-consider/) [David Dellinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dellinger/) > [This one goes out to all my critics: don't you feel stupid? Look how I did it. Look how it came to pass when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/this-one-goes-out-to-all-my-critics-don-t-you-feel-stupid-look-how-i/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [There's a lot of stuff I want to do, just things that I want to explore that don't involve show business. I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/there-s-a-lot-of-stuff-i-want-to-do-just-things-that-i-want-to/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/whatever-course-you-decide-upon-there-is-always-someone-to-tell-you/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Nearly all the writing of our time is likely to disappear in a hundred years. Certainly most readers - and nearly all critics -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/nearly-all-the-writing-of-our-time-is-likely-to-disappear-in-a/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [David Rockefeller is the most conspicuous representative today of the ruling class, a multinational fraternity of men who shape the global economy and manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/david-rockefeller-is-the-most-conspicuous-representative-today-of-the/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [The boundaries between contemporary art and cinema are so rigid. It's unbelievable. The film critics don't know my artwork and the art world doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/the-boundaries-between-contemporary-art-and-cinema-are-so-rigid-it-s/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [A certain type of critic doesn't really want French movies to be visual. They think movies started from books and they forgot this part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-tautou/a-certain-type-of-critic-doesn-t-really-want-french-movies-to-be/) [Audrey Tautou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-tautou/) Browse all 2,637 Critics quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Critics I don't understand. They get too intellectual. They're not very well-versed in street talk; it takes them longer to say it. 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