---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: His voice went flat. “They criticized…"
description: "\"“His voice went flat. “They criticized me,” he said. “The criticized me for the way I went about things, my dreams.” His voice became like still water,..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/gil-brewer-37347_big-things_his-voice-went-flat-they-criticized-me-h_2753377.jpg"
---

#  His voice went flat. “They criticized me,” he said. “The…

![“His voice went flat. “They criticized me,” he said. “The criticized me for the way I went about things, my dreams.” His voice became like still water, like a nest of sleeping snakes, and you could feel the mad wrath contained within that voice. “They always criticized me, even when I did big…” quote by Gil Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/gil-brewer-37347_big-things_his-voice-went-flat-they-criticized-me-h_2753377.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/gil-brewer-37347_big-things_his-voice-went-flat-they-criticized-me-h_2753377.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/gil-brewer-37347_big-things_his-voice-went-flat-they-criticized-me-h_2753377.jpg)

> ““His voice went flat. “They criticized me,” he said. “The criticized me for the way I went about things, my dreams.” His voice became like still water, like a nest of sleeping snakes, and you could feel the mad wrath contained within that voice. “They always criticized me, even when I did big things. I’m doing a big thing now. They won’t criticize me. If they do, I’ll kill them. Ignorance. There’s no room for it in my plans. No room.””

[Gil Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-brewer/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A speaker expresses intense frustration and threats toward critics, feeling trapped by their own anger and desire for control.

**In simple terms:** Angry speaker threatens critics due to frustration.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and manage anger before it escalates.

Themes

anger criticism control threats

Mood

tense defensive

Type

emotional warning

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- political discourse
- stress management
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

psychology conflict power dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- What underlying fear fuels this rage?
- How could constructive dialogue replace threats?

A Different Perspective

Aggression can alienate allies and provoke retaliation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Big things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-things/) [Criticized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticized/) [Criticized Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticized-did-3116355/) [Criticized Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticized-said-3116353/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Said Criticized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-criticized-3116354/) [Voice Criticized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice-criticized-3116352/)

## Related quotes

> [“to let anything connected with Charlene get criticized, so I said, Mama, you’re just jealous because you can’t dance like Charlene. Mama said, Shut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-wells/to-let-anything-connected-with-charlene-get-criticized-so-i-said-mama/)

[Rebecca Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-wells/)

> [I'm not ashamed of being successful. You know, they criticized Romney for being ashamed of it. I think we've got to inspire our kids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-catsimatidis/i-m-not-ashamed-of-being-successful-you-know-they-criticized-romney/)

[John Catsimatidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-catsimatidis/)

> [I am a proud Article III judge. We've been criticized from the beginning of this great country. What I will say about me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amul-thapar/i-am-a-proud-article-iii-judge-we-ve-been-criticized-from-the/)

[Amul Thapar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amul-thapar/)

> [I get criticized for a lot of what I write about, but as far as I'm concerned I'm actually standing up and having a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/i-get-criticized-for-a-lot-of-what-i-write-about-but-as-far-as-i-m/)

[Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/)

> [That's part of the deal. You're going to be criticized. I always welcomed that. Not everyone believes what I believe. And I welcome the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-warner/that-s-part-of-the-deal-you-re-going-to-be-criticized-i-always/)

[Kurt Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-warner/)

> [It saddens me when public officials and bureaucrats are criticized for ulterior motives, none of which I have ever found in a government bureaucrat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-powell/it-saddens-me-when-public-officials-and-bureaucrats-are-criticized/)

[Michael K. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-powell/)

> [Porter is my eldest child, and I tended to be fiercely protective when he was criticized. He actually was not a big complainer about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-shreve/porter-is-my-eldest-child-and-i-tended-to-be-fiercely-protective-when/)

[Susan Shreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-shreve/)

> [“You may be worried about earning their respect, and that’s natural. Unfortunately, though, being overly focused on respect can backfire because it’ll make you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-malone-scott/you-may-be-worried-about-earning-their-respect-and-that-s-natural/)

[Kim Malone Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-malone-scott/)

> [If you never get criticized, chances are you aren't getting anything done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-swindoll/if-you-never-get-criticized-chances-are-you-aren-t-getting-anything/)

[Charles R. Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-swindoll/)

> [“It is incredibly tempting to disparage people who didn’t “change” with us. I have criticized the words of others when the same words came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-hatmaker/it-is-incredibly-tempting-to-disparage-people-who-didn-t-change-with/)

[Jen Hatmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-hatmaker/)

> [No one likes to be criticized, of course, but if the things we successfully strive for do not make our future selves happy, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gilbert/no-one-likes-to-be-criticized-of-course-but-if-the-things-we/)

[Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gilbert/)

> [People have said things about me, and wrote and criticized me about things in the past, but it goes in one ear and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-mayweather-jr/people-have-said-things-about-me-and-wrote-and-criticized-me-about/)

[Floyd Mayweather, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-mayweather-jr/)

> [When 'The Thin Blue Line' came out, I was criticized by many people for using reenactments, as if I wasn't dedicated to the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/when-the-thin-blue-line-came-out-i-was-criticized-by-many-people-for/)

[Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/)

> [“To hear, in the short space of one week, a Scottish terrier booed by an audience and President Roosevelt criticized by Charles Lindbergh was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/to-hear-in-the-short-space-of-one-week-a-scottish-terrier-booed-by-an/)

[E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/)

> ['The Matrix' is a movie that is all about glamour. I could do a whole talk on 'The Matrix' and glamour. It was criticized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/the-matrix-is-a-movie-that-is-all-about-glamour-i-could-do-a-whole/)

[Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/)

## More by Gil Brewer

> [“He looked as if someone had machine gunned his soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-brewer/he-looked-as-if-someone-had-machine-gunned-his-soul/)

[Gil Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-brewer/)

> [“I looked at her. She wore a very tight and tiny two-piece orange bathing swimsuit that inadequately covered the overplump body I'd been using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-brewer/i-looked-at-her-she-wore-a-very-tight-and-tiny-two-piece-orange/)

[Gil Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-brewer/)

> [“He was a sensitive man and many people had caused him anguish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-brewer/he-was-a-sensitive-man-and-many-people-had-caused-him-anguish/)

[Gil Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-brewer/)

> [“Get a better job, Harve. Ask for a raise. Good Lord, we aren’t living. We’re existing!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-brewer/get-a-better-job-harve-ask-for-a-raise-good-lord-we-aren-t-living-we/)

[Gil Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-brewer/)

> [“She was about eighteen, wearing a two-piece red bathing suit. She had blonde hair and she was really built, so when she ran you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-brewer/she-was-about-eighteen-wearing-a-two-piece-red-bathing-suit-she-had/)

[Gil Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-brewer/)

> [“The sign was done in blue lights and it kind of hung like a ghost there in the dripping trees. It swung and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-brewer/the-sign-was-done-in-blue-lights-and-it-kind-of-hung-like-a-ghost/)

[Gil Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-brewer/)

> [“The one real woman you want just doesn't exist. She's a dream you have to live with. Reaching, reaching, reaching - but never touching.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-brewer/the-one-real-woman-you-want-just-doesn-t-exist-she-s-a-dream-you-have/)

[Gil Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-brewer/)

> [“Watch for when he goes,” she whispered. “Then come over to my bedroom. I’ll be waiting, darling. Run!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-brewer/watch-for-when-he-goes-she-whispered-then-come-over-to-my-bedroom-i/)

[Gil Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-brewer/)

> [“She looked like a vixen, and that’s what she was; she had all the instincts of a female fox. She was the proverbial predatory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-brewer/she-looked-like-a-vixen-and-that-s-what-she-was-she-had-all-the/)

[Gil Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-brewer/)

> [“She was like steel. It was in her eyes, and in her voice, and in the fine, shining look of her. From the sparkling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-brewer/she-was-like-steel-it-was-in-her-eyes-and-in-her-voice-and-in-the/)

[Gil Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-brewer/)

> [“She looked slick as hell; polished, neat, and with that feminine deadliness that can drive you nuts. They work on it till they get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-brewer/she-looked-slick-as-hell-polished-neat-and-with-that-feminine/)

[Gil Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-brewer/)

[Explore all 12 Gil Brewer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-brewer/)

## More Big things quotes

> [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/)

[Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/)

> [I want my squad to be confident, ambitious. They have to believe in big things and we have to set targets internally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/i-want-my-squad-to-be-confident-ambitious-they-have-to-believe-in-big/)

[Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/)

> [Little things make the difference. Everyone is well prepared in the big things, but only the winners perfect the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/little-things-make-the-difference-everyone-is-well-prepared-in-the/)

[Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/)

> [I would not have lasted a minute, literally a minute, on this Earth without God and angels by my side, because I was born.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mattie-stepanek/i-would-not-have-lasted-a-minute-literally-a-minute-on-this-earth/)

[Mattie Stepanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mattie-stepanek/)

> [The larger an English industry was, the more likely it was to go bankrupt, because the English were not naturally corporate people; they disliked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/the-larger-an-english-industry-was-the-more-likely-it-was-to-go/)

[Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/)

> [It's silly to have as one's sole object in life just making money, accumulating wealth. I work because I enjoy what I'm doing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/it-s-silly-to-have-as-one-s-sole-object-in-life-just-making-money/)

[Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/)

> [Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-dale-bell/show-me-a-man-who-cannot-bother-to-do-little-things-and-i-ll-show-you/)

[Lawrence Dale Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-dale-bell/)

> [ITS FUNNY HOW YOU CAN MAKE SILENT HAPPINESS TO OTHER PEOPLE OUT OF YOUR NONE SENSE ACTIONS. BECAUSE SOMETHINGS IT MAYBE LITTLE AS WE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/no-voice/its-funny-how-you-can-make-silent-happiness-to-other-people-out-of/)

[NO VOICE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/no-voice/)

> [The little things, I can obey. But the big things - how we think, what we value - those you must choose yourself. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morrie-schwartz/the-little-things-i-can-obey-but-the-big-things-how-we-think-what-we/)

[Morrie Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morrie-schwartz/)

> [The little things are being early to meetings and lifts, stretching and warming up - doing all these things consistently, the walk-throughs that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-herbert/the-little-things-are-being-early-to-meetings-and-lifts-stretching/)

[Justin Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-herbert/)

> [I promise you this: at the end of your days, you will discover that the things you now perceive to be the big things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/i-promise-you-this-at-the-end-of-your-days-you-will-discover-that-the/)

[Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/)

> [“He wanted me to understand two big things: First, that nobody, no group, is above others. Public servants are obliged to level with everybody,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/he-wanted-me-to-understand-two-big-things-first-that-nobody-no-group/)

[Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/)

> [“When it comes to big things in life, there are no accidents. Everything happens for a reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/when-it-comes-to-big-things-in-life-there-are-no-accidents-everything/)

[Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/)

> [President Barack Obama is a doer. And we in America will do big things with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-hunt/president-barack-obama-is-a-doer-and-we-in-america-will-do-big-things/)

[Jim Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-hunt/)

> [There are experts in little things but there are no experts in big things. There are experts in this fact and that fact but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/there-are-experts-in-little-things-but-there-are-no-experts-in-big/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

[Browse all 748 Big things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-things/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“His voice went flat. “They criticized me,” he said. “The criticized me for the way I went about things, my dreams.” His voice became like still water, like a nest of sleeping snakes, and you could feel the mad wrath contained within that voice. “They always criticized me, even when I did big things. I’m doing a big thing now. They won’t criticize me. If they do, I’ll kill them. Ignorance. There’s no room for it in my plans. No room.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gil Brewer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-brewer/his-voice-went-flat-they-criticized-me-he-said-the-criticized-me-for/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Big things"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-brewer/his-voice-went-flat-they-criticized-me-he-said-the-criticized-me-for/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/gil-brewer-37347_big-things_his-voice-went-flat-they-criticized-me-h_2753377.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/gil-brewer-37347_big-things_his-voice-went-flat-they-criticized-me-h_2753377.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/gil-brewer-37347_big-things_his-voice-went-flat-they-criticized-me-h_2753377.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“His voice went flat. “They criticized me,” he said. “The criticized me for the way I went about things, my…” — Gil Brewer",
                "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": "Gil Brewer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-brewer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“His voice went flat. “They criticized...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-brewer/his-voice-went-flat-they-criticized-me-he-said-the-criticized-me-for/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-brewer/his-voice-went-flat-they-criticized-me-he-said-the-criticized-me-for/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
