--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some people have become so…" description: "\"“Some people have become so critical-minded that no matter what is done for them, it’s not right. They never see the good their spouses are doing. They..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/joel-osteen-194_every-day_some-people-have-become-so-critical-mind_1196408.jpg" --- # Some people have become so critical-minded that no matter… ![“Some people have become so critical-minded that no matter what is done for them, it’s not right. They never see the good their spouses are doing. They’ve forgotten the reasons they fell in love. It’s because they’re magnifying the wrong things. If you struggle in this area, make a list of the…” quote by Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/joel-osteen-194_every-day_some-people-have-become-so-critical-mind_1196408.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/joel-osteen-194_every-day_some-people-have-become-so-critical-mind_1196408.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/joel-osteen-194_every-day_some-people-have-become-so-critical-mind_1196408.jpg) > ““Some people have become so critical-minded that no matter what is done for them, it’s not right. They never see the good their spouses are doing. They’ve forgotten the reasons they fell in love. It’s because they’re magnifying the wrong things. If you struggle in this area, make a list of the qualities you like about your spouse. Write down the good things your spouse does. He may not be a great communicator, but he’s a hard worker. Write it down. She may have some weaknesses, but she’s a great mother. She’s smart. She’s fun. Put that on your list and go over it every day. Start focusing on those good qualities. Your entire outlook is poisoned when you operate out of a critical spirit. You won’t communicate properly. You won’t want to do things together. It will affect you in every area. You have to make a shift. Start appreciating that person’s strengths and learn to downplay the weaknesses. Everyone has faults and habits that can get on your nerves. The key is to recognize what you are magnifying. You are magnifying the wrong thing when you let the critical spirit take over. That’s when you’ll start complaining that the wrong egg was fried. There are relationships today where two good people are married. They have great potential, but a critical spirit is driving them apart. When you are critical you start nagging: “You never take out the trash. You never talk to me. You’re always late.” People respond to praise more than they respond to criticism. The next time you want your husband to mow the lawn, instead of nagging, “Why don’t you ever mow the lawn, you lazy thing?” say instead, “Did I ever tell you that when you mow the lawn you look really good out there, and when your muscles bulge out of your shirt and that sweat drips down your face you look so handsome and attractive?” You praise him like that, and he’ll mow the lawn every day! People respond to praise.”” [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Focusing on a partner’s strengths and expressing appreciation reduces criticism and improves relationship dynamics. **In simple terms:** Praise strengths, ignore weaknesses. Key Takeaway Shift from criticism to appreciation. Themes relationships communication appreciation personal growth marriage Mood hopeful encouraging reflective Type advice inspirational practical When to use this quote - daily gratitude practice - marriage counseling - conflict resolution - team building - parenting Key Concepts Positive reinforcement cognitive bias emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - How can you regularly notice and verbalize your partner’s strengths? - What habits can you develop to balance praise with constructive feedback? A Different Perspective Praise alone may not address deeper issues; genuine change requires mutual effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Critical spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critical-spirit/) [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Focusing Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focusing-good-758204/) [Good people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-people/) [Good Spouses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-spouses-1612730/) [Good thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thing/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Great mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-mother/) [Hard worker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-worker/) [Like Spouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-spouse-1999353/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Next time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-time/) [Spouse Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spouse-write-3570834/) ## Related quotes > [Write a list of ways that you have benefited from being married to your spouse. Then write a list of your spouse's positive patterns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelig-pliskin/write-a-list-of-ways-that-you-have-benefited-from-being-married-to/) [Zelig Pliskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelig-pliskin/) > [To me, I think of my actors like they're my spouse. You chose them, and you love them, and you know them so intimately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-song/to-me-i-think-of-my-actors-like-they-re-my-spouse-you-chose-them-and/) [Celine Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-song/) > [Writers don't make good spouses. When I am writing, I'm not a good wife. I shut myself away, and all my emotions are directed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-tomalin/writers-don-t-make-good-spouses-when-i-am-writing-i-m-not-a-good-wife/) [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) > [“There are many marital therapists who have high expectations for what is possible in a marriage...I am not opposed to such views, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-many-marital-therapists-who-have-high-expectations-for-what/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nice people with common sense do not make interesting characters. They only make good former spouses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/nice-people-with-common-sense-do-not-make-interesting-characters-they/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“Wanderlove is about forgetting the bad things and focusing on the good. Out with the old and in with new.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-hubbard/wanderlove-is-about-forgetting-the-bad-things-and-focusing-on-the-2/) [Kirsten Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-hubbard/) > [Everybody has a list of 100 things they would like to change about themselves. But it's all about focusing on the good things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/everybody-has-a-list-of-100-things-they-would-like-to-change-about/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [I'm only focusing on good work. I'm known to be a little choosy, and I'm proud of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huma-qureshi/i-m-only-focusing-on-good-work-i-m-known-to-be-a-little-choosy-and-i/) [Huma Qureshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huma-qureshi/) > [You miss them because you're focusing on the good things about them. Focus on the bad things and you'll remember why they're wrong for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/you-miss-them-because-you-re-focusing-on-the-good-things-about-them/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Focusing on the good isn’t just about overcoming our inner grump to see the glass half full. It’s about opening our minds to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-achor/focusing-on-the-good-isn-t-just-about-overcoming-our-inner-grump-to/) [Shawn Achor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-achor/) > [Men, learn to speak blessings over your wife and you will see that woman rise to a new level. She will respond to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/men-learn-to-speak-blessings-over-your-wife-and-you-will-see-that/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [ \[About the great synthesis of atomic physics in the 1920s:\] It was a heroic time. It was not the doing of any one man;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-robert-oppenheimer/about-the-great-synthesis-of-atomic-physics-in-the-1920s-it-was-a/) [J. Robert Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-robert-oppenheimer/) > [“James intentionally enlarges the scope of suffering when he writes, “trials of many kinds.” By doing this, he invites those who experience depression to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-t-welch/james-intentionally-enlarges-the-scope-of-suffering-when-he-writes/) [Edward T. Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-t-welch/) > [No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/no-pessimist-ever-discovered-the-secrets-of-the-stars/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [“I won't desecrate beauty with cynicism anymore. I won't confuse critical thinking with a critical spirit, and I will practice, painfully, over and over,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bessey/i-won-t-desecrate-beauty-with-cynicism-anymore-i-won-t-confuse/) [Sarah Bessey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bessey/) ## More by Joel Osteen > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I don't have to figure out how God is going to solve my problem. I don't have to understand how He's going to bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-don-t-have-to-figure-out-how-god-is-going-to-solve-my-problem-i-don/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [The only difference between black coal and a precious diamond is the amount of pressure it endured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/the-only-difference-between-black-coal-and-a-precious-diamond-is-the/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Faith is easy; I think people complicate it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/faith-is-easy-i-think-people-complicate-it/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [There's pros and cons of a big church. Cons is I don't get to know everybody, I don't get to go to their ballgame,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/there-s-pros-and-cons-of-a-big-church-cons-is-i-don-t-get-to-know/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [When you smile and project an aura of warmth, kindness, and friendliness, you will attract warms, kindness, and friendliness. Happy people will be drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/when-you-smile-and-project-an-aura-of-warmth-kindness-and/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [You were never created to live depressed, defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed or unworthy. You were created to be victorious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-were-never-created-to-live-depressed-defeated-guilty-condemned/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [You may not have the approval of someone 'important,' but you have the favor of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-may-not-have-the-approval-of-someone-important-but-you-have-the/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [“In the Bible, God called Gideon a mighty man of (fearless) courage. Gideon looked around and said, “Who’s He talking to? That’s not me.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/in-the-bible-god-called-gideon-a-mighty-man-of-fearless-courage/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [At the start of each new day, remind yourself: I am talented. I am creative. I am greatly favored by God. I am equipped.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/at-the-start-of-each-new-day-remind-yourself-i-am-talented-i-am/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Don't be intimidated by the size of your problem or the size of your dream. God will see to it that it is finished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/don-t-be-intimidated-by-the-size-of-your-problem-or-the-size-of-your/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [No matter what's happening, choose to be happy. Don't focus on what's wrong. Find something positive in your life. Thank God for the small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/no-matter-what-s-happening-choose-to-be-happy-don-t-focus-on-what-s/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I deal with more practical issues of the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-deal-with-more-practical-issues-of-the-bible/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I've learned a simple principle: all I have to do is be the best 'me' that I can be. One day when I read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-ve-learned-a-simple-principle-all-i-have-to-do-is-be-the-best-me/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [“Too often we don’t realize how great we have it until something is taken away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/too-often-we-don-t-realize-how-great-we-have-it-until-something-is/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) [Explore all 960 Joel Osteen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) ## More Critical spirit quotes > [“I won't desecrate beauty with cynicism anymore. I won't confuse critical thinking with a critical spirit, and I will practice, painfully, over and over,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bessey/i-won-t-desecrate-beauty-with-cynicism-anymore-i-won-t-confuse/) [Sarah Bessey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bessey/) > [No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/no-pessimist-ever-discovered-the-secrets-of-the-stars/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [“James intentionally enlarges the scope of suffering when he writes, “trials of many kinds.” By doing this, he invites those who experience depression to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-t-welch/james-intentionally-enlarges-the-scope-of-suffering-when-he-writes/) [Edward T. Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-t-welch/) > [ \[About the great synthesis of atomic physics in the 1920s:\] It was a heroic time. It was not the doing of any one man;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-robert-oppenheimer/about-the-great-synthesis-of-atomic-physics-in-the-1920s-it-was-a/) [J. Robert Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-robert-oppenheimer/) > [“The New Testament was not written by historians with the critical spirit of a Thucydides or a Polybius, but by men moved by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-perry/the-new-testament-was-not-written-by-historians-with-the-critical/) [Marvin Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-perry/) > [Good novel is a conjunction of many factors, the main of which is, without a doubt, hard work. There are many things behind a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/good-novel-is-a-conjunction-of-many-factors-the-main-of-which-is/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [Life without Liberty is like a body without spirit. Liberty without thought is like a disturbed spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/life-without-liberty-is-like-a-body-without-spirit-liberty-without/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [“We would be worse than we are without the good books we have read, more conformist, not as restless, more submissive, and the critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/we-would-be-worse-than-we-are-without-the-good-books-we-have-read/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [There are many things behind a good novel, but in particular there is a lot of work - a lot of patience, a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/there-are-many-things-behind-a-good-novel-but-in-particular-there-is/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [“A man who called everyone a damn fool is like a man who damns the weather. He only shows that he is not adapted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/a-man-who-called-everyone-a-damn-fool-is-like-a-man-who-damns-the/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) > [“I won’t desecrate beauty with cynicism anymore. I won’t confuse critical thinking with a critical spirit, and I will practice, painfully, over and over,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bessey/i-won-t-desecrate-beauty-with-cynicism-anymore-i-won-t-confuse-2/) [Sarah Bessey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bessey/) > [“This inherent sin nature in unbelievers and the residual sinful patterns in believers cause those with a critical spirit to see others as inferior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-hunt/this-inherent-sin-nature-in-unbelievers-and-the-residual-sinful/) [June Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-hunt/) > [The imagination imitates. It is the critical spirit that creates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-imagination-imitates-it-is-the-critical-spirit-that-creates/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I am convinced that everything that is worth while in the world has been accomplished by the free, inquiring, critical spirit, and that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/i-am-convinced-that-everything-that-is-worth-while-in-the-world-has/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [“Some parents whenever their children have an independent thought they wrap them up in warm ignorance and send them to bed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/some-parents-whenever-their-children-have-an-independent-thought-they/) [rassool jibraeel snyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/) [Browse all 30 Critical spirit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critical-spirit/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Some people have become so critical-minded that no matter what is done for them, it’s not right. They never see the good their spouses are doing. They’ve forgotten the reasons they fell in love. It’s because they’re magnifying the wrong things. If you struggle in this area, make a list of the qualities you like about your spouse. Write down the good things your spouse does. He may not be a great communicator, but he’s a hard worker. Write it down. She may have some weaknesses, but she’s a great mother. She’s smart. She’s fun. Put that on your list and go over it every day. Start focusing on those good qualities. Your entire outlook is poisoned when you operate out of a critical spirit. You won’t communicate properly. You won’t want to do things together. It will affect you in every area. You have to make a shift. Start appreciating that person’s strengths and learn to downplay the weaknesses. Everyone has faults and habits that can get on your nerves. The key is to recognize what you are magnifying. You are magnifying the wrong thing when you let the critical spirit take over. That’s when you’ll start complaining that the wrong egg was fried. There are relationships today where two good people are married. They have great potential, but a critical spirit is driving them apart. When you are critical you start nagging: “You never take out the trash. You never talk to me. You’re always late.” People respond to praise more than they respond to criticism. The next time you want your husband to mow the lawn, instead of nagging, “Why don’t you ever mow the lawn, you lazy thing?” say instead, “Did I ever tell you that when you mow the lawn you look really good out there, and when your muscles bulge out of your shirt and that sweat drips down your face you look so handsome and attractive?” You praise him like that, and he’ll mow the lawn every day! People respond to praise.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joel Osteen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/some-people-have-become-so-critical-minded-that-no-matter-what-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Critical spirit" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/some-people-have-become-so-critical-minded-that-no-matter-what-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/joel-osteen-194_every-day_some-people-have-become-so-critical-mind_1196408.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/joel-osteen-194_every-day_some-people-have-become-so-critical-mind_1196408.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/joel-osteen-194_every-day_some-people-have-become-so-critical-mind_1196408.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Some people have become so critical-minded that no matter what is done for them, it’s not right. They never…” — Joel Osteen", "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": "Joel Osteen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Some people have become so critical-minded...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/some-people-have-become-so-critical-minded-that-no-matter-what-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/some-people-have-become-so-critical-minded-that-no-matter-what-is/#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 } } ] } ```