--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have so long been subject to external…" description: "\"“We have so long been subject to external criticism that we don’t know how to react to internal criticism, because whereas the most enduring, positive ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fca/foz-meadows-35520_criticism_we-have-so-long-been-subject-to-external_378173.jpg" --- # We have so long been subject to external criticism that we… ![“We have so long been subject to external criticism that we don’t know how to react to internal criticism, because whereas the most enduring, positive and sensible response to the former is a united front – you shall not divide us, here we stand – responding to the latter is an entirely different…” quote by Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fca/foz-meadows-35520_criticism_we-have-so-long-been-subject-to-external_378173.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fca/foz-meadows-35520_criticism_we-have-so-long-been-subject-to-external_378173.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fca/foz-meadows-35520_criticism_we-have-so-long-been-subject-to-external_378173.jpg) > ““We have so long been subject to external criticism that we don’t know how to react to internal criticism, because whereas the most enduring, positive and sensible response to the former is a united front – you shall not divide us, here we stand – responding to the latter is an entirely different ballgame. This is my fear: that as a community, we don’t know how to critique ourselves, and that this is dong us damage. Criticism, and specifically the criticism of both literary publications and the mainstream press, has so long been the weapon of the enemy that our first response on seeing it wielded internally is to call it the work of traitors. We have found strength in the creation of our own conventions and the hallowing of our own legends, flourishing to such an extent that, even if we are not yet accepted into the mainstream literary establishment, we are nonetheless part of the cultural mainstream. We are written about inaccurately, yet we are written about; and if there ever was a time when the whole genre seemed a precarious, faddish endeavour, then that time is surely past. Blog post: Criticism in SFF and YA”” [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Communities struggle to self‑criticize because external attacks are met with unity, while internal critique feels threatening, hindering growth. **In simple terms:** Self‑critique is hard for groups. Key Takeaway Cultivate honest internal feedback. Themes community critique self‑reflection Mood thoughtful cautious Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - editorial meetings - peer reviews - literary conferences Key Concepts media analysis group dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can groups foster safe self‑critique? - What benefits arise from honest internal feedback? A Different Perspective Fear of division can silence necessary criticism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Criticism Enduring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism-enduring-3435577/) [Criticism Specifically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism-specifically-1225221/) [External Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/external-criticism-3435575/) [Internal Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internal-criticism-3435578/) [Post Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/post-criticism-3435576/) [Sff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sff-168354/) [Ya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ya/) ## Related quotes > [“How can so many (white, male) writers narratively justify restricting the agency of their female characters on the grounds of sexism = authenticity while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/how-can-so-many-white-male-writers-narratively-justify-restricting/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“And against whom is this censorship directed? By way of answer, think back to the big subcultural debates of 2011 – debates about how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/and-against-whom-is-this-censorship-directed-by-way-of-answer-think/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“In the past few years, more and more passionate debates about the nature of SFF and YA have bubbled to the surface. Conversations about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/in-the-past-few-years-more-and-more-passionate-debates-about-the/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [We cannot let external criticism, even if it's true, fortify our internal foe. That foe is strong enough already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/we-cannot-let-external-criticism-even-if-it-s-true-fortify-our/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [My literary criticism has become less specifically academic. I was really writing literary history in The New Poetic, but my general practice of writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-karlson-stead/my-literary-criticism-has-become-less-specifically-academic-i-was/) [Christian Karlson Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-karlson-stead/) > [“Politics is shit; it corrupts everything it touches...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/politics-is-shit-it-corrupts-everything-it-touches/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) ## More by Foz Meadows > [“everything in our culture tells men and boys to avoid any interest, activity or community dominated by women - and when article after article…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/everything-in-our-culture-tells-men-and-boys-to-avoid-any-interest/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“Context is everything in both narrative and real life, and while the accusation is never that these creators deliberately set out to discriminate against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/context-is-everything-in-both-narrative-and-real-life-and-while-the/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“How can so many (white, male) writers narratively justify restricting the agency of their female characters on the grounds of sexism = authenticity while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/how-can-so-many-white-male-writers-narratively-justify-restricting/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“It's a hat," said Jess. Manx stretched. "Yes." "A hat with - just to be clear - a lizard on it. A real, dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/it-s-a-hat-said-jess-manx-stretched-yes-a-hat-with-just-to-be-clear-a/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“For centuries, no one was concerned that books weren’t girl-friendly, because no one really cared if girls read; but even so, we persisted for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/for-centuries-no-one-was-concerned-that-books-weren-t-girl-friendly/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“Never having experienced inequality, therefore, the majority of straight white men will be absolutely oblivious to their own advantages – not because they must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/never-having-experienced-inequality-therefore-the-majority-of/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“it strikes me that the writers most deeply concerned with the state of literary fiction and its biases against women could do a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/it-strikes-me-that-the-writers-most-deeply-concerned-with-the-state/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“And against whom is this censorship directed? By way of answer, think back to the big subcultural debates of 2011 – debates about how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/and-against-whom-is-this-censorship-directed-by-way-of-answer-think/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“As a fantasist, I well understand the power of escapism, particularly as relates to romance. But when so many stories aimed at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/as-a-fantasist-i-well-understand-the-power-of-escapism-particularly/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“Something that’s bothered me for a while now is the current profligacy in YA culture of Team Boy 1 vs Team Boy 2 fangirling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/something-that-s-bothered-me-for-a-while-now-is-the-current/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“In the past few years, more and more passionate debates about the nature of SFF and YA have bubbled to the surface. Conversations about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/in-the-past-few-years-more-and-more-passionate-debates-about-the/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“True, life is complex. But so are a great many accidents.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/true-life-is-complex-but-so-are-a-great-many-accidents/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) [Explore all 13 Foz Meadows quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) ## 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": "“We have so long been subject to external criticism that we don’t know how to react to internal criticism, because whereas the most enduring, positive and sensible response to the former is a united front – you shall not divide us, here we stand – responding to the latter is an entirely different ballgame. This is my fear: that as a community, we don’t know how to critique ourselves, and that this is dong us damage. Criticism, and specifically the criticism of both literary publications and the mainstream press, has so long been the weapon of the enemy that our first response on seeing it wielded internally is to call it the work of traitors. We have found strength in the creation of our own conventions and the hallowing of our own legends, flourishing to such an extent that, even if we are not yet accepted into the mainstream literary establishment, we are nonetheless part of the cultural mainstream. We are written about inaccurately, yet we are written about; and if there ever was a time when the whole genre seemed a precarious, faddish endeavour, then that time is surely past. Blog post: Criticism in SFF and YA”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Foz Meadows" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/we-have-so-long-been-subject-to-external-criticism-that-we-don-t-know/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Criticism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/we-have-so-long-been-subject-to-external-criticism-that-we-don-t-know/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fca/foz-meadows-35520_criticism_we-have-so-long-been-subject-to-external_378173.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fca/foz-meadows-35520_criticism_we-have-so-long-been-subject-to-external_378173.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fca/foz-meadows-35520_criticism_we-have-so-long-been-subject-to-external_378173.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have so long been subject to external criticism that we don’t know how to react to internal criticism…” — Foz Meadows", "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": "Foz Meadows", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We have so long been subject...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/we-have-so-long-been-subject-to-external-criticism-that-we-don-t-know/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/we-have-so-long-been-subject-to-external-criticism-that-we-don-t-know/#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 } } ] } ```