--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The whole point of free expression is not…" description: "\"The whole point of free expression is not to make ideas exempt from criticism but to expose them to it.\" — Garry Wills" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/garry-wills-18365_criticism_the-whole-point-of-free-expression-is-no_2894520.jpg" --- # The whole point of free expression is not to make ideas… ![“The whole point of free expression is not to make ideas exempt from criticism but to expose them to it.” quote by Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/garry-wills-18365_criticism_the-whole-point-of-free-expression-is-no_2894520.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/garry-wills-18365_criticism_the-whole-point-of-free-expression-is-no_2894520.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/garry-wills-18365_criticism_the-whole-point-of-free-expression-is-no_2894520.jpg) > “The whole point of free expression is not to make ideas exempt from criticism but to expose them to it.” [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Free expression exists so ideas can be examined, not shielded from critique. **In simple terms:** Free speech lets ideas be challenged. Key Takeaway Encourage open critique of ideas. Themes free speech criticism democracy Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - media commentary - academic debate - online forums Key Concepts public discourse intellectual honesty Questions to Reflect On - When does critique become harmful? - How protect ideas without silencing? A Different Perspective Criticism can become harassment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Free expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-expression/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing is complete and thus nothing is exempt from criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-luther-adams/nothing-is-complete-and-thus-nothing-is-exempt-from-criticism/) [James Luther Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-luther-adams/) > [I'm not saying that President Obama should be exempt from criticism, nor do I believe it is some act of racial treason for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-m-not-saying-that-president-obama-should-be-exempt-from-criticism/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [How odd that the proponents of free expression think 'free' only applies to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/how-odd-that-the-proponents-of-free-expression-think-free-only/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [To curtail free expression strikes twice at intellectual freedom, for whoever deprives another of the right to state unpopular views necessarily deprives others of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-vann-woodward/to-curtail-free-expression-strikes-twice-at-intellectual-freedom-for/) [C. Vann Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-vann-woodward/) > [Freedom demands that we struggle for an extension of both equality and free expression, not regard one as inimical to the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenan-malik/freedom-demands-that-we-struggle-for-an-extension-of-both-equality/) Kenan Malik > [I have I guess 3 passions. One is the Constitution. The other is jazz and the other is being an atheist prolifer which, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/i-have-i-guess-3-passions-one-is-the-constitution-the-other-is-jazz/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [The free expression of the hopes and aspirations of a people is the greatest and only safety in a sane society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/the-free-expression-of-the-hopes-and-aspirations-of-a-people-is-the/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [No, nothing is sacred. And even if there were to be something called sacred, we mere primates wouldn't be able to decide which book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/no-nothing-is-sacred-and-even-if-there-were-to-be-something-called/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Any test that turns on what is offensive to the community's standards is too loose, too capricious, too destructive of freedom of expression to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/any-test-that-turns-on-what-is-offensive-to-the-community-s-standards/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [“In our haste to disseminate news, it should not be forgotten that the Framers intended copyright itself to be the engine of free expression.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-weinstock-netanel/in-our-haste-to-disseminate-news-it-should-not-be-forgotten-that-the/) Neil Weinstock Netanel > [The Human Rights Act is not a terrorists' charter. It enables ordinary citizens to seek redress when the government breaches fundamental freedoms enshrined in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thornberry/the-human-rights-act-is-not-a-terrorists-charter-it-enables-ordinary/) [Emily Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thornberry/) > [ \[Christian rebellion\] arises from the doctrine of mankind made in the image of God, and therefore protests against all forms of dehumanization. It sets… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/christian-rebellion-arises-from-the-doctrine-of-mankind-made-in-the/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [After the revolution the borders were left open. Pens were free, expression was free, political parties were free. Even if these people are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayatollah-khomeini/after-the-revolution-the-borders-were-left-open-pens-were-free/) [Ayatollah Khomeini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayatollah-khomeini/) > [In a nation as dynamic and diverse as the United States, what makes us great is that our founding principles are rooted in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/in-a-nation-as-dynamic-and-diverse-as-the-united-states-what-makes-us/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [“Character gains through its expression, and loses through its repression. Love grows through its expression. Sympathy grows through its expression. Knowledge grows through its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-clay-trumbull/character-gains-through-its-expression-and-loses-through-its/) [Henry Clay Trumbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-clay-trumbull/) ## More by Garry Wills > [There is a particular danger with a war that God commands. What if God should lose?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/there-is-a-particular-danger-with-a-war-that-god-commands-what-if-god/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [I have been an outsider in journalism and in the academy, because I never fully belonged to any of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/i-have-been-an-outsider-in-journalism-and-in-the-academy-because-i/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [Do not touch anything unnecessarily. Beware of pretty girls in dance halls and parks who may be spies, as well as bicycles, revolvers, uniforms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/do-not-touch-anything-unnecessarily-beware-of-pretty-girls-in-dance/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [“You will hear everlastingly, in all discussions about newspapers, companies, aristocracies, or party politics, this argument that the rich man cannot be bribed. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/you-will-hear-everlastingly-in-all-discussions-about-newspapers/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [There's an interesting contrast between born Catholics and converts. Converts are often much more rule-directed. Catholicism isn't something that they breathed in from their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/there-s-an-interesting-contrast-between-born-catholics-and-converts/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [The leader is one who mobilizes others toward a goal shared by leader and followers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/the-leader-is-one-who-mobilizes-others-toward-a-goal-shared-by-leader/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [Religion embarrasses the commentators. It is offbounds. An editor of the old Life magazine once assigned me a book on religion with remark that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/religion-embarrasses-the-commentators-it-is-offbounds-an-editor-of/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [I don't really write for an audience. I just write what the subject seems to me to require.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/i-don-t-really-write-for-an-audience-i-just-write-what-the-subject/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [Only the winners decide what were war crimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/only-the-winners-decide-what-were-war-crimes/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [Accountability is the essence of democracy. If people do not know what their government is doing, they cannot be truly self-governing. The national security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/accountability-is-the-essence-of-democracy-if-people-do-not-know-what/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [I don't get far enough into a boring book to hate it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/i-don-t-get-far-enough-into-a-boring-book-to-hate-it/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [To "bear arms" is, in itself, a military term. One does not bear arms against a rabbit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/to-bear-arms-is-in-itself-a-military-term-one-does-not-bear-arms/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [Politicians make good company for a while just as children do - their self-enjoyment is contagious. But they soon exhaust their favourite subjects -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/politicians-make-good-company-for-a-while-just-as-children-do-their/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [The romantic artist, off alone in his storm-battered castle, fuming whole worlds from his brain, reflects his culture's most persistent myth, of God creating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/the-romantic-artist-off-alone-in-his-storm-battered-castle-fuming/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [I would rather listen to plays in the car than read them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/i-would-rather-listen-to-plays-in-the-car-than-read-them/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) [Explore all 35 Garry Wills quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) ## 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": "The whole point of free expression is not to make ideas exempt from criticism but to expose them to it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Garry Wills" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/the-whole-point-of-free-expression-is-not-to-make-ideas-exempt-from/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Criticism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/the-whole-point-of-free-expression-is-not-to-make-ideas-exempt-from/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/garry-wills-18365_criticism_the-whole-point-of-free-expression-is-no_2894520.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/garry-wills-18365_criticism_the-whole-point-of-free-expression-is-no_2894520.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/garry-wills-18365_criticism_the-whole-point-of-free-expression-is-no_2894520.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The whole point of free expression is not to make ideas exempt from criticism but to expose them to it.” — Garry Wills", "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": "Garry Wills", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The whole point of free expression...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/the-whole-point-of-free-expression-is-not-to-make-ideas-exempt-from/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/the-whole-point-of-free-expression-is-not-to-make-ideas-exempt-from/#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 } } ] } ```