--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A critic recently described me, with…" description: "\"A critic recently described me, with deadly acuteness, as having 'a kindly dislike of my fellow-creatures.' Perhaps dread would have been nearer the ma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af5/george-bernard-shaw-68_animal_a-critic-recently-described-me-with-dead_2493654.jpg" --- # A critic recently described me, with deadly acuteness, as… ![“A critic recently described me, with deadly acuteness, as having 'a kindly dislike of my fellow-creatures.' Perhaps dread would have been nearer the mark than dislike; for man is the only animal of which I am thoroughly and cravenly afraid.” quote by George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af5/george-bernard-shaw-68_animal_a-critic-recently-described-me-with-dead_2493654.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af5/george-bernard-shaw-68_animal_a-critic-recently-described-me-with-dead_2493654.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af5/george-bernard-shaw-68_animal_a-critic-recently-described-me-with-dead_2493654.jpg) > “A critic recently described me, with deadly acuteness, as having 'a kindly dislike of my fellow-creatures.' Perhaps dread would have been nearer the mark than dislike; for man is the only animal of which I am thoroughly and cravenly afraid.” [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shaw describes himself as fearing humanity, suggesting a deep, unsettling dread rather than simple dislike. **In simple terms:** He feels a profound fear of people. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and examine personal anxieties about others. Themes existential fear human nature self‑reflection philosophy Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal relationships - public speaking - team collaboration Key Concepts psychology social anxiety existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What triggers your fear of others? - How can you transform dread into understanding? A Different Perspective Fear may hinder meaningful connections. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Cravenly Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cravenly-afraid-992433/) [Creatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creatures/) [Creatures Dread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creatures-dread-992435/) [Critics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critics/) [Dislike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dislike/) [Dislike Fellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dislike-fellow-479464/) [Dread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dread/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fellows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fellows/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Kindly Dislike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindly-dislike-992434/) [Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mark/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [Human beings are the only animals of which I am thoroughly and cravenly afraid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/human-beings-are-the-only-animals-of-which-i-am-thoroughly-and/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Man is the only animals of which I am thoroughly and cravenly afraid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/man-is-the-only-animals-of-which-i-am-thoroughly-and-cravenly-afraid/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“On the whole, I dislike my fellow beings; I find them so difficult to understand. But I have a tidy mind and untidy lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-gibbons/on-the-whole-i-dislike-my-fellow-beings-i-find-them-so-difficult-to/) [Stella Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-gibbons/) > [Unbounded hopes were placed on each successive extension of the electoral franchise, culminating in the enfranchisement of women.These hopes have been disappointed, because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/unbounded-hopes-were-placed-on-each-successive-extension-of-the/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [You have the most revolting Florence Nightingale complex,' said Mrs. Smiling. It is not that at all, and well you know it. On the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-gibbons/you-have-the-most-revolting-florence-nightingale-complex-said-mrs/) [Stella Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-gibbons/) > [“I dislike my fellow-mortals. Justice compels me to add that they appear for the most part to dislike me. The Man from Archangel ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/i-dislike-my-fellow-mortals-justice-compels-me-to-add-that-they/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [I am oppressed with a dread of living forever. That is the only disadvantage of vegetarianism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-am-oppressed-with-a-dread-of-living-forever-that-is-the-only/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/liberty-means-responsibility-that-is-why-most-men-dread-it/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“No, really: I can't fight, I never could. I can't bring myself to dislike anyone enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/no-really-i-can-t-fight-i-never-could-i-can-t-bring-myself-to-dislike/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The advance of science spares us from irrational dread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-advance-of-science-spares-us-from-irrational-dread/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [Present sufferings seem far greater to men than those they merely dread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livy/present-sufferings-seem-far-greater-to-men-than-those-they-merely/) [Livy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/livy/) > [Oh, I'm being eaten By a boa constrictor, A boa constrictor, A boa constrictor, I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor, And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/oh-i-m-being-eaten-by-a-boa-constrictor-a-boa-constrictor-a-boa/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-times-of-dread-artists-must-never-choose-to-remain-silent/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Smart people duck when they hear the dread announcement 'I'm going to be perfectly honest with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dread-announcement-i-m-going-to/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More by George Bernard Shaw > [I love little children too but I don't cut off their heads and stick them in vases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-love-little-children-too-but-i-don-t-cut-off-their-heads-and-stick/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Blasphemy and sedition (meaning the truth about Church and State).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/blasphemy-and-sedition-meaning-the-truth-about-church-and-state/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In the arts of life, man invents nothing; but in the arts of death he outdoes Nature herself, and produces by chemistry and machinery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-life-man-invents-nothing-but-in-the-arts-of-death-he/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“My religious convictions and scientific views cannot at present be more specifically defined than as those of a believer in creative evolution. 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You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/you-are-my-inspiration-and-my-folly-you-are-my-light-across-the-sea/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Men have to do some awfully mean things to keep up their respectability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/men-have-to-do-some-awfully-mean-things-to-keep-up-their/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The schoolmaster is the person who takes the children off the parents' hands for a consideration. That is to say, he establishes a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-schoolmaster-is-the-person-who-takes-the-children-off-the-parents/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/as-long-as-i-have-a-want-i-have-a-reason-for-living-satisfaction-is/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The camera can represent flesh so superbly that, if I dared, I would never photograph a figure without asking that figure to take its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-camera-can-represent-flesh-so-superbly-that-if-i-dared-i-would/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [A man who is not a communist at the age of twenty is a fool. Any man who is still communist at the age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/a-man-who-is-not-a-communist-at-the-age-of-twenty-is-a-fool-any-man/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [But to admire a strong person and to live under that strong person’s thumb are two different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/but-to-admire-a-strong-person-and-to-live-under-that-strong-person-s/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Socialism is the same as Communism, only better English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/socialism-is-the-same-as-communism-only-better-english/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The person who is ignorant enough to believe that his nourishment depends on meat is in a horrible dilemma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-person-who-is-ignorant-enough-to-believe-that-his-nourishment/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In the arts of peace Man is a bungler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-peace-man-is-a-bungler/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) [Explore all 1,640 George Bernard Shaw quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## More Animal quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. 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He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. 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