--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A criticism is just a really bad way of…" description: "\"“A criticism is just a really bad way of making a request...so just make the request.”\" — Diane Sawyer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/diane-sawyer-10936_criticism_a-criticism-is-just-a-really-bad-way-of_1416293.png" --- # A criticism is just a really bad way of making a… ![“A criticism is just a really bad way of making a request...so just make the request.” quote by Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/diane-sawyer-10936_criticism_a-criticism-is-just-a-really-bad-way-of_1416293.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/diane-sawyer-10936_criticism_a-criticism-is-just-a-really-bad-way-of_1416293.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/diane-sawyer-10936_criticism_a-criticism-is-just-a-really-bad-way-of_1416293.png) > ““A criticism is just a really bad way of making a request...so just make the request.”” [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Criticism often disguises a request; clearer asking is more effective than indirect blame. **In simple terms:** Criticism hides a request; ask directly. Key Takeaway Ask directly instead of criticizing. Themes communication conflict resolution assertiveness Mood thoughtful constructive Type advice practical When to use this quote - team meetings - customer service - personal relationships - negotiations Key Concepts psychology interpersonal dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn criticism into a clear request? - What tone makes a request feel respectful? A Different Perspective Direct requests may be perceived as demanding; balance tone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Criticism Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism-just-236092/) [Make Request](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-request-1610356/) [Making Request](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-request-1610355/) [Really Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-bad-392982/) [Request](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/request/) [Request Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/request-just-1774123/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [Someone said to me... ‘A criticism is just a really bad way of making a request. So why don’t you just make the request?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/someone-said-to-me-a-criticism-is-just-a-really-bad-way-of-making-a/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [So I made a request. I said to the writers, I have a minor request that I just want to play a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-long/so-i-made-a-request-i-said-to-the-writers-i-have-a-minor-request-that/) [Justin Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-long/) > [Grant my last request and just let me hold you, don't shrug your shoulders, lay down beside me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/grant-my-last-request-and-just-let-me-hold-you-don-t-shrug-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Making a request without revealing the feeling/need takes all the joy out of other's service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-liu/making-a-request-without-revealing-the-feeling-need-takes-all-the-joy/) [Lucy Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-liu/) > [You’ll come with us,” she said. “Sure,” Gavin said. “It wasn’t a request.” “Yes it was,” Gavin said. “When you don’t have power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/you-ll-come-with-us-she-said-sure-gavin-said-it-wasn-t-a-request-yes/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [It's fine for people to say, "If you can't stand the heat and if you can't stand the criticism, then just don't use the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/it-s-fine-for-people-to-say-if-you-can-t-stand-the-heat-and-if-you/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [Donald Trump's hair frankly. Sometimes you know you're going to get criticism, but you just have to take .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/donald-trump-s-hair-frankly-sometimes-you-know-you-re-going-to-get/) [Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/) > [You have to decide what is constructive criticism and what is just mean, because there will be a little of both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrishell-stause/you-have-to-decide-what-is-constructive-criticism-and-what-is-just/) [Chrishell Stause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrishell-stause/) > [How to overcome destructive criticism? Just love a little more. That's all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/how-to-overcome-destructive-criticism-just-love-a-little-more-that-s/) [Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/) > [“Criticism is just someone else’s opinion. Even people who are experts in their fields are sometimes wrong. It is up to you to choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodolfo-costa/criticism-is-just-someone-else-s-opinion-even-people-who-are-experts/) [Rodolfo Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodolfo-costa/) > [Even people back home, when I went to the NBA they were questioning whether I was good enough, I'm skinny, I don't have outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goran-dragic/even-people-back-home-when-i-went-to-the-nba-they-were-questioning/) [Goran Dragic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goran-dragic/) > [Having every little aspect of your life in the public eye is really hard because it leaves more room for criticism, and I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-winter/having-every-little-aspect-of-your-life-in-the-public-eye-is-really/) [Ariel Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-winter/) > [Barack and I have been in the public eye for many years now, and we've developed a thick skin along the way. When you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/barack-and-i-have-been-in-the-public-eye-for-many-years-now-and-we-ve/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [You don't market-research a novel; you really are writing it for yourself. It's a hobby, in many ways. The problem becomes what you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/you-don-t-market-research-a-novel-you-really-are-writing-it-for/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [I think, with any new product that's difficult to understand, there are always lots of questions and criticism. I think we have all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-spiegel/i-think-with-any-new-product-that-s-difficult-to-understand-there-are/) [Evan Spiegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-spiegel/) ## More by Diane Sawyer > [Don't let other people tell you who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/don-t-let-other-people-tell-you-who-you-are/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [I've always found a cure for the blues is wandering into something unknown, and resting there, before coming back to whatever weight you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/i-ve-always-found-a-cure-for-the-blues-is-wandering-into-something/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [I have a contract but it's not a commitment in the ordinary sense. It's our ongoing conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/i-have-a-contract-but-it-s-not-a-commitment-in-the-ordinary-sense-it/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [Wake up curious, and determined to find an answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/wake-up-curious-and-determined-to-find-an-answer/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [Whatever you want in life, other people are going to want it too. Believe in yourself enough to accept the idea that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/whatever-you-want-in-life-other-people-are-going-to-want-it-too/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [There's a definite sense this morning on the part of the Kerry voters that perhaps this is code, 'moral values,' is code for something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/there-s-a-definite-sense-this-morning-on-the-part-of-the-kerry-voters/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [Sometimes I forget some of the things I've done. I recently recalled that after Watergate I went away by myself to Tahiti for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/sometimes-i-forget-some-of-the-things-i-ve-done-i-recently-recalled/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [... the greatest act of love is to pay attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/the-greatest-act-of-love-is-to-pay-attention/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [I think there's a point at which you know how you dress isn't going to affect how much you do in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/i-think-there-s-a-point-at-which-you-know-how-you-dress-isn-t-going/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [Every time somebody tries to go in and reinvent what we do, it always ends up being more about technology and sets, and flash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/every-time-somebody-tries-to-go-in-and-reinvent-what-we-do-it-always/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [“Do something you really love in the most adventurous place you can and make sure it helps other people. --Diane Sawyer quoted from her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/do-something-you-really-love-in-the-most-adventurous-place-you-can/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [My husband has said even he doesn't know my politics. In the nonromantic-compliment category, that's a good one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/my-husband-has-said-even-he-doesn-t-know-my-politics-in-the/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [I have a liberal definition of news because I think news can be what excites people. I'm not very sanctimonious about what news is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/i-have-a-liberal-definition-of-news-because-i-think-news-can-be-what/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [One day you're the statue. One day you're the pigeon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/one-day-you-re-the-statue-one-day-you-re-the-pigeon/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [Start in a small TV station so you can make all of your embarrassing mistakes early and in front of fewer people!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/start-in-a-small-tv-station-so-you-can-make-all-of-your-embarrassing/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) [Explore all 62 Diane Sawyer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) ## 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": "“A criticism is just a really bad way of making a request...so just make the request.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Diane Sawyer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/a-criticism-is-just-a-really-bad-way-of-making-a-request-so-just-make/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Criticism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/a-criticism-is-just-a-really-bad-way-of-making-a-request-so-just-make/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/diane-sawyer-10936_criticism_a-criticism-is-just-a-really-bad-way-of_1416293.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/diane-sawyer-10936_criticism_a-criticism-is-just-a-really-bad-way-of_1416293.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/diane-sawyer-10936_criticism_a-criticism-is-just-a-really-bad-way-of_1416293.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A criticism is just a really bad way of making a request...so just make the request.” — Diane Sawyer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Diane Sawyer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A criticism is just a really...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/a-criticism-is-just-a-really-bad-way-of-making-a-request-so-just-make/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/a-criticism-is-just-a-really-bad-way-of-making-a-request-so-just-make/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```