Critics Quote by Edmund Wilson
“In times of disorder and stress, the fanatics play a prominent role; in times of peace, the critics. Both are shot after the revolution.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Role of the Critic," 1939
During chaos, fanatics dominate; in calm, critics emerge, but both are eliminated after upheaval.
In simple terms: Fanatics rise in disorder, critics in peace, both later removed.
Key Takeaway
Beware of extremes in any regime.
Themes
politics
power dynamics
history
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
historical
When to use this quote
- political movements
- social upheaval
- media analysis
- leadership evaluation
Key Concepts
authoritarianism
revolutionary cycles
Questions to Reflect On
- What prevents a society from repeating this pattern?
- How can healthy dissent be maintained?
A Different Perspective
Critics can become oppressive if not balanced.
![“I've heard so many stories of Jared [Kushner] being groomed from a very young age - really, from from when he was a child - to be playing a prominent role in the business world, in sort of the elite world - in elite circles.” quote by Jared Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/05f/jared-kushner-17284_age_i-ve-heard-so-many-stories-of-jared-kush_174203.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)
