--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We're our own worst critics." description: "\"We're our own worst critics.\" — Justin Chancellor" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/justin-chancellor-18204_critics_we-re-our-own-worst-critics-2191585_2191585.jpg" --- # We're our own worst critics. ![“We're our own worst critics.” quote by Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/justin-chancellor-18204_critics_we-re-our-own-worst-critics-2191585_2191585.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/justin-chancellor-18204_critics_we-re-our-own-worst-critics-2191585_2191585.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/justin-chancellor-18204_critics_we-re-our-own-worst-critics-2191585_2191585.jpg) > “We're our own worst critics.” [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑criticism hinders growth; recognizing it is the first step to improvement. **In simple terms:** We are our own harshest judges. Key Takeaway Moderate self‑criticism to enable progress. Themes self‑criticism growth self‑awareness Mood introspective serious Type motivational psychological When to use this quote - performance review - creative work Key Concepts psychology personal development Questions to Reflect On - What standards do you set for yourself? - How can you balance critique with compassion? A Different Perspective Excessive self‑criticism can cause paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Attention, all of my worst critics who were once the best of friends. You're all just crows on the power lines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiodos/attention-all-of-my-worst-critics-who-were-once-the-best-of-friends/) [Chiodos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiodos/) > [I feel like we tend to be our own worst critics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/i-feel-like-we-tend-to-be-our-own-worst-critics/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [“Our own eyes were our worst critics. Our own thoughts were the world’s harshest judges. “Your”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-ray/our-own-eyes-were-our-worst-critics-our-own-thoughts-were-the-world-s/) [Katie Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-ray/) > [All players are their own worst critics. We are harder on ourselves than anyone else is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomar-garciaparra/all-players-are-their-own-worst-critics-we-are-harder-on-ourselves/) [Nomar Garciaparra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomar-garciaparra/) > [“the best and worst critics I had was in the Marine Corps, If you can share poetry to a bunch of opinionated Marines, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-breit/the-best-and-worst-critics-i-had-was-in-the-marine-corps-if-you-can/) Vincent Breit > [The women in my family were worst critics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reham-khan/the-women-in-my-family-were-worst-critics/) [Reham Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reham-khan/) > [We don't stoop to the level of our worst critics, no matter how much we may find them to be annoying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/we-don-t-stoop-to-the-level-of-our-worst-critics-no-matter-how-much/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [When I'm writing, I'm locking myself in a room. I'm the worst critic in the world. I write something and then I beat myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-diesel/when-i-m-writing-i-m-locking-myself-in-a-room-i-m-the-worst-critic-in/) [Vin Diesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-diesel/) > [I have always considered The Merry Wives one of the worst plays, if not altogether the worst, that Shakespeare has left us. The wit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-henry-lewes/i-have-always-considered-the-merry-wives-one-of-the-worst-plays-if/) [George Henry Lewes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-henry-lewes/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I'd like to say this was our worst game. Unfortunately, I can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mattingly/i-d-like-to-say-this-was-our-worst-game-unfortunately-i-can-t/) [Don Mattingly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mattingly/) > [That's your best friend and your worst enemy - your own brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/that-s-your-best-friend-and-your-worst-enemy-your-own-brain/) [Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [The foundations of our lives are far more fragile than we think. So we are severely shaken when life turns out to have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/the-foundations-of-our-lives-are-far-more-fragile-than-we-think-so-we/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) ## More by Justin Chancellor > [When you're getting older, you think about what you have to offer, and what's the point of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/when-you-re-getting-older-you-think-about-what-you-have-to-offer-and/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) > [As you grow older, you want to learn, you want to change, you want to evolve and you don't want to live in fear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/as-you-grow-older-you-want-to-learn-you-want-to-change-you-want-to/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) > [We are all musicians, and we're not really good musicians. But we have this gracious gift that has been bestowed on us, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/we-are-all-musicians-and-we-re-not-really-good-musicians-but-we-have/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) > [I'm a big Beethoven fan, and you'll struggle to find a three-minute song on any of his stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/i-m-a-big-beethoven-fan-and-you-ll-struggle-to-find-a-three-minute/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) > [We're not complete prodigies musically and as a band together it takes more and more work to find something new and special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/we-re-not-complete-prodigies-musically-and-as-a-band-together-it/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) > [You can't help but have ideas when you're inspired musically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/you-can-t-help-but-have-ideas-when-you-re-inspired-musically/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) > [There's a vulnerability to our music that attracts people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/there-s-a-vulnerability-to-our-music-that-attracts-people/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) > [Anything you spend a long time on, of course it would be nice if everyone likes it. But I think the strength that we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/anything-you-spend-a-long-time-on-of-course-it-would-be-nice-if/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) > [It's very rare that we play a gig and we all come off and say 'That was great, I had a great time!' There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/it-s-very-rare-that-we-play-a-gig-and-we-all-come-off-and-say-that/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) > [My mother was sort of mildly religious, but the rest of us, you know, we didn't really have it forced on us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/my-mother-was-sort-of-mildly-religious-but-the-rest-of-us-you-know-we/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) > [We don't ever write stuff individually and say, 'OK, this is gonna be the song.' We bring in ideas in their rawest form and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/we-don-t-ever-write-stuff-individually-and-say-ok-this-is-gonna-be/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) > [I'm ashamed to say it, but I watch YouTube videos of our live shows, wondering if it actually sounded the way it sounded when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/i-m-ashamed-to-say-it-but-i-watch-youtube-videos-of-our-live-shows/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) > [We lock ourselves away and we concentrate on what we're doing and try not to think about the madness that's surrounding it, and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/we-lock-ourselves-away-and-we-concentrate-on-what-we-re-doing-and-try/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) > [Writing music is hard if your head is full of waste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/writing-music-is-hard-if-your-head-is-full-of-waste/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) > [Writing is a grueling process for us, and once we finish an album, we go on tour for a couple of years. Plus, we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/writing-is-a-grueling-process-for-us-and-once-we-finish-an-album-we/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) [Explore all 35 Justin Chancellor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) ## More Critics quotes > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Critics are biased, and so are readers. (Indeed, a critic is a bundle of biases held loosely together by a sense of taste.) But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-balliett/critics-are-biased-and-so-are-readers-indeed-a-critic-is-a-bundle-of/) Whitney Balliett > [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/) > [Popular culture as a whole is popular, but in today's fragmented market it's a jostle of competing unpopular popular cultures. As the critic Stanley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/popular-culture-as-a-whole-is-popular-but-in-today-s-fragmented/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [There was a cultural war going on, the '60s was going on. All the film critics were square.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/there-was-a-cultural-war-going-on-the-60s-was-going-on-all-the-film/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [Capitalists have done more good for society through their charitable giving, philanthropy and generosity than all their critics combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/capitalists-have-done-more-good-for-society-through-their-charitable/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [I get that the media wants us to play theater critics and critique every other proposal. What I'm focusing on are my own policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-get-that-the-media-wants-us-to-play-theater-critics-and-critique/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [The Yippies, their lifestyle is different from mine. But I consider Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman inspired critics of the kind of society that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dellinger/the-yippies-their-lifestyle-is-different-from-mine-but-i-consider/) [David Dellinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dellinger/) > [This one goes out to all my critics: don't you feel stupid? Look how I did it. Look how it came to pass when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/this-one-goes-out-to-all-my-critics-don-t-you-feel-stupid-look-how-i/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [There's a lot of stuff I want to do, just things that I want to explore that don't involve show business. I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/there-s-a-lot-of-stuff-i-want-to-do-just-things-that-i-want-to/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/whatever-course-you-decide-upon-there-is-always-someone-to-tell-you/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Nearly all the writing of our time is likely to disappear in a hundred years. Certainly most readers - and nearly all critics -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/nearly-all-the-writing-of-our-time-is-likely-to-disappear-in-a/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [David Rockefeller is the most conspicuous representative today of the ruling class, a multinational fraternity of men who shape the global economy and manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/david-rockefeller-is-the-most-conspicuous-representative-today-of-the/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [The boundaries between contemporary art and cinema are so rigid. It's unbelievable. The film critics don't know my artwork and the art world doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/the-boundaries-between-contemporary-art-and-cinema-are-so-rigid-it-s/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [A certain type of critic doesn't really want French movies to be visual. They think movies started from books and they forgot this part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-tautou/a-certain-type-of-critic-doesn-t-really-want-french-movies-to-be/) [Audrey Tautou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-tautou/) Browse all 2,637 Critics quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We're our own worst critics.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Justin Chancellor" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/we-re-our-own-worst-critics/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Critics" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/we-re-our-own-worst-critics/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/justin-chancellor-18204_critics_we-re-our-own-worst-critics-2191585_2191585.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/justin-chancellor-18204_critics_we-re-our-own-worst-critics-2191585_2191585.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/justin-chancellor-18204_critics_we-re-our-own-worst-critics-2191585_2191585.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We're our own worst critics.” — Justin Chancellor", "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": "Justin Chancellor", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We're our own worst critics.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/we-re-our-own-worst-critics/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/we-re-our-own-worst-critics/#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 } } ] } ```