--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think it is the responsibility of…" description: "\"I think it is the responsibility of critics to rely less strenuously on, to use a Hollywood phrase, \"what they can live with,\" and more on an examinati..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/edward-albee-1684_aesthetic_i-think-it-is-the-responsibility-of-crit_546199.png" --- # I think it is the responsibility of critics to rely less… ![“I think it is the responsibility of critics to rely less strenuously on, to use a Hollywood phrase, "what they can live with," and more on an examination of the works of art from an aesthetic and clinical point of view.” quote by Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/edward-albee-1684_aesthetic_i-think-it-is-the-responsibility-of-crit_546199.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/edward-albee-1684_aesthetic_i-think-it-is-the-responsibility-of-crit_546199.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/edward-albee-1684_aesthetic_i-think-it-is-the-responsibility-of-crit_546199.png) > “I think it is the responsibility of critics to rely less strenuously on, to use a Hollywood phrase, "what they can live with," and more on an examination of the works of art from an aesthetic and clinical point of view.” [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critics should prioritize aesthetic and clinical analysis over personal comfort. **In simple terms:** Critics need objective, deep analysis. Key Takeaway Critique with rigor, not bias. Themes art criticism objectivity aesthetics Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - film reviews - literary analysis - gallery exhibitions - academic papers Key Concepts critical theory evaluation standards Questions to Reflect On - How can critics remain honest without discouraging creators? - What criteria define aesthetic value? A Different Perspective Balancing honesty with constructive feedback is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aesthetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aesthetic/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Clinicals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinicals/) [Critic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critic/) [Critics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critics/) [Critics Rely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critics-rely-4556887/) [Examination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/examination/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Hollywood Phrase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood-phrase-4556889/) [Phrases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phrases/) [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) [Rely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rely/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Responsibility Critics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility-critics-4556888/) [Think Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-responsibility/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) [Works of art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/works-of-art/) ## Related quotes > [After the oil spill, I had this strong feeling that if I ever were to be blessed in having children, I never wanted my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-milano/after-the-oil-spill-i-had-this-strong-feeling-that-if-i-ever-were-to/) [Alyssa Milano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-milano/) > [I am disappointed that we went through this process. The country went through this process. I think it's the responsibility of the government to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/i-am-disappointed-that-we-went-through-this-process-the-country-went/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [I believe, as artists, I do think we have a responsibility, and there's also a place for a lot of different artists. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goapele/i-believe-as-artists-i-do-think-we-have-a-responsibility-and-there-s/) [Goapele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goapele/) > [I think you have a responsibility to the people you're making movies with, and I take that very seriously. I don't want to let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rudin/i-think-you-have-a-responsibility-to-the-people-you-re-making-movies/) [Scott Rudin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rudin/) > [People think responsibility is hard to bear. It's not. I think that sometimes it is the absence of responsibility that is harder to bear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-think-responsibility-is-hard-to-bear-it-s-not-i-think-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Think of responsibility as a blessing, not a burden.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haresh-sippy/think-of-responsibility-as-a-blessing-not-a-burden/) [Haresh Sippy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haresh-sippy/) > [I do think responsibility does come with a lot of power, and more than that, it comes with the fact that you can actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ekta-kapoor/i-do-think-responsibility-does-come-with-a-lot-of-power-and-more-than/) [Ekta Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ekta-kapoor/) > [I don't want actors to be writers. I think it's too much responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/i-don-t-want-actors-to-be-writers-i-think-it-s-too-much-responsibility/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [I think it's the responsibility of people in tech to find solutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shervin-pishevar/i-think-it-s-the-responsibility-of-people-in-tech-to-find-solutions/) [Shervin Pishevar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shervin-pishevar/) > [And now that the Greatest Generation is getting older, I think it is the responsibility of all Americans to make sure we do our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/and-now-that-the-greatest-generation-is-getting-older-i-think-it-is/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [I'm always looking at things and seeing how I can improve upon them. I think it's my responsibility to focus on how I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-czuchry/i-m-always-looking-at-things-and-seeing-how-i-can-improve-upon-them-i/) [Matt Czuchry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-czuchry/) > [As an artist, I used to think that my responsibility was to do good work. But I had to learn from the '70s on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/as-an-artist-i-used-to-think-that-my-responsibility-was-to-do-good/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [I think the responsibility lies with the fashion world as a collective. We have to demand more variety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevyn-aucoin/i-think-the-responsibility-lies-with-the-fashion-world-as-a/) [Kevyn Aucoin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevyn-aucoin/) > [I think it's the responsibility of every human being, not just those who wear the identity of poet, activist, voter, religious person... it's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-trudell/i-think-it-s-the-responsibility-of-every-human-being-not-just-those/) [John Trudell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-trudell/) > [I think our responsibility as political leaders today, is to push our economic leaders to change their investment behavior, to decide new things, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-macron/i-think-our-responsibility-as-political-leaders-today-is-to-push-our/) [Emmanuel Macron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuel-macron/) ## More by Edward Albee > [School curricula that ignore the arts produce highly educated Barbarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/school-curricula-that-ignore-the-arts-produce-highly-educated/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [When a critic sets himself up as an arbiter of morality, a judge of the matter and not the manner of a work, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/when-a-critic-sets-himself-up-as-an-arbiter-of-morality-a-judge-of/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [When people don't like the way a play ends, they're likely to blame the play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/when-people-don-t-like-the-way-a-play-ends-they-re-likely-to-blame/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [In a democracy you cannot stop public access to that art that will most misinform the people. You cannot stop people from being misinformed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/in-a-democracy-you-cannot-stop-public-access-to-that-art-that-will/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [Creativity is magic. Don't examine it too closely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/creativity-is-magic-don-t-examine-it-too-closely/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [When people can't abide things as they are, when they can't abide the present, they do one of two things ... either they ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/when-people-can-t-abide-things-as-they-are-when-they-can-t-abide-the/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [“Lady, you can’t fuck a metaphor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/lady-you-can-t-fuck-a-metaphor/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [I write to find out what I'm talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/i-write-to-find-out-what-i-m-talking-about/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [I know playwrights who like to kid themselves into saying that their characters are so well formed that they just take over. They determine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/i-know-playwrights-who-like-to-kid-themselves-into-saying-that-their/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [The greatest problem with Irish Wolfhounds, though, is that they don't live very long: their great hearts give out. A good deal of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/the-greatest-problem-with-irish-wolfhounds-though-is-that-they-don-t/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [Dashed hopes and good intentions. Good, better, best, bested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/dashed-hopes-and-good-intentions-good-better-best-bested/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [Writing has got to be an act of discovery…I write to find out what I'm thinking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/writing-has-got-to-be-an-act-of-discovery-i-write-to-find-out-what-i/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [I'm back in fashion again for a while now. But I imagine that three or four years from now I'll be out again. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/i-m-back-in-fashion-again-for-a-while-now-but-i-imagine-that-three-or/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [What people really want in the theater is fantasy involvement and not reality involvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/what-people-really-want-in-the-theater-is-fantasy-involvement-and-not/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [Art should never try to be popular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/art-should-never-try-to-be-popular/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) [Explore all 216 Edward Albee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) ## More Aesthetic quotes > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“Beauty in the European sense has always had a premeditated quality to it. We've always had an aesthetic intention and a long-range plan. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/beauty-in-the-european-sense-has-always-had-a-premeditated-quality-to/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [All efforts to render politics aesthetic culminate in one thing: war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/all-efforts-to-render-politics-aesthetic-culminate-in-one-thing-war/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [I don't think I was ever thinking critically about my aesthetic, I think it's enough when you're little just to understand that you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavi-gevinson/i-don-t-think-i-was-ever-thinking-critically-about-my-aesthetic-i/) [Tavi Gevinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavi-gevinson/) > [I'm kind of still down with Virg Woolf on this one: "women must kill the aesthetic ideal through which they themselves have been 'killed'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lidia-yuknavitch/i-m-kind-of-still-down-with-virg-woolf-on-this-one-women-must-kill/) [Lidia Yuknavitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lidia-yuknavitch/) > [Virtue is as little to be acquired by learning as genius; nay, the idea is barren, and is only to be employed as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/virtue-is-as-little-to-be-acquired-by-learning-as-genius-nay-the-idea/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [There is a certain aesthetic pleasure in trying to imagine the unimaginable and failing, if you are a reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-byatt-2/there-is-a-certain-aesthetic-pleasure-in-trying-to-imagine-the/) [A. S. Byatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-byatt-2/) > [I try to get the hip-hop aesthetic, most times without an MC. I don't use a rapper or a DJ to give it the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-glasper/i-try-to-get-the-hip-hop-aesthetic-most-times-without-an-mc-i-don-t/) [Robert Glasper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-glasper/) > [It's so important what you're doing in your life. It's tremendously important to the work, and no aesthetic theories take that into account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maus/it-s-so-important-what-you-re-doing-in-your-life-it-s-tremendously/) [John Maus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maus/) > [It is not necessary to have an extravagant food budget in order to serve things with variety and tastefully cooked. It is not necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-schaeffer/it-is-not-necessary-to-have-an-extravagant-food-budget-in-order-to/) [Edith Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-schaeffer/) > [In reality no food is valued solely for its nutritive power and no garment or house solely for the protection it affords against cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/in-reality-no-food-is-valued-solely-for-its-nutritive-power-and-no/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Art is realistic when it strives to express an ethical ideal. Realism is striving for truth, and truth is always beautiful. 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Not a movement committed to a particular 'ism', but a gathering together of writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-metcalf/i-wanted-the-press-to-become-something-of-a-movement-not-a-movement/) [John Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-metcalf/) [Browse all 953 Aesthetic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aesthetic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think it is the responsibility of critics to rely less strenuously on, to use a Hollywood phrase, \"what they can live with,\" and more on an examination of the works of art from an aesthetic and clinical point of view.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Albee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/i-think-it-is-the-responsibility-of-critics-to-rely-less-strenuously/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aesthetic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/i-think-it-is-the-responsibility-of-critics-to-rely-less-strenuously/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/edward-albee-1684_aesthetic_i-think-it-is-the-responsibility-of-crit_546199.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/edward-albee-1684_aesthetic_i-think-it-is-the-responsibility-of-crit_546199.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/edward-albee-1684_aesthetic_i-think-it-is-the-responsibility-of-crit_546199.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think it is the responsibility of critics to rely less strenuously on, to use a Hollywood phrase, \"what…” — Edward Albee", "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": "Edward Albee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think it is the responsibility...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/i-think-it-is-the-responsibility-of-critics-to-rely-less-strenuously/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/i-think-it-is-the-responsibility-of-critics-to-rely-less-strenuously/#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 } } ] } ```