--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It has been rightly said that what a…" description: "\"It has been rightly said that what a critic wants to understand he must, at one time, have deeply loved, even if only for a fleeting moment.\" — Martin ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/martin-esslin-49928_critics_it-has-been-rightly-said-that-what-a-cri_2744905.jpg" --- # It has been rightly said that what a critic wants to… ![“It has been rightly said that what a critic wants to understand he must, at one time, have deeply loved, even if only for a fleeting moment.” quote by Martin Esslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/martin-esslin-49928_critics_it-has-been-rightly-said-that-what-a-cri_2744905.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/martin-esslin-49928_critics_it-has-been-rightly-said-that-what-a-cri_2744905.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/martin-esslin-49928_critics_it-has-been-rightly-said-that-what-a-cri_2744905.jpg) > “It has been rightly said that what a critic wants to understand he must, at one time, have deeply loved, even if only for a fleeting moment.” [Martin Esslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-esslin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critics must first deeply love a work, even briefly, to truly understand and evaluate it. **In simple terms:** Critics need love to understand art. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy before critique. Themes art criticism empathy interpretation Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical instructional When to use this quote - academic discourse Key Concepts literature analysis film review music criticism Questions to Reflect On - How does love change your analysis? - Can you critique without affection? A Different Perspective Lack of personal connection can lead to shallow criticism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fleeting moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fleeting-moments/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Then I remembered something I’d read that Teddy Roosevelt had said: “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-a-beckwith/then-i-remembered-something-i-d-read-that-teddy-roosevelt-had-said-it/) Charlie A. Beckwith > [Going to meetings for Time's Up has been deeply affirming for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-lysette/going-to-meetings-for-time-s-up-has-been-deeply-affirming-for-me/) [Trace Lysette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-lysette/) > [“being deeply loved gives you strength, and loving someone deeply gives you courage”, and”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-o-flanagan/being-deeply-loved-gives-you-strength-and-loving-someone-deeply-gives/) [Sheila O'Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-o-flanagan/) > [I felt deeply loved, highly respected by my colleagues and everybody in the world of motorsport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-de-villota/i-felt-deeply-loved-highly-respected-by-my-colleagues-and-everybody/) [Maria de Villota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-de-villota/) > [My father and mother deeply loved me and my sister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/my-father-and-mother-deeply-loved-me-and-my-sister/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. Come live in my heart and pay no rent-vaccancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aryan-amit9xl-gmailcom/being-deeply-loved-by-someone-gives-you-strength-while-loving-someone-3/) Aryan-amit9xl@gmailcom > [Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. --Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-deeply-loved-by-someone-gives-you-strength-while-loving-someone-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/being-deeply-loved-by-someone-gives-you-strength-while-loving-someone/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [People are surprised by the poverty and think that I wasn't cared for. But that wasn't the case - I was deeply loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/people-are-surprised-by-the-poverty-and-think-that-i-wasn-t-cared-for/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [I don't remember my skin changing, but I do recall feeling deeply loved by my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winnie-harlow/i-don-t-remember-my-skin-changing-but-i-do-recall-feeling-deeply/) [Winnie Harlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winnie-harlow/) > [Being deeply loved by someone who gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-deeply-loved-by-someone-who-gives-you-strength-while-loving/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being deeply loved gives you strength.. Deeply loving someone gives you Courage(:](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niykee/being-deeply-loved-gives-you-strength-deeply-loving-someone-gives-you/) [Niykee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niykee/) > [My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/my-deepest-awareness-of-myself-is-that-i-am-deeply-loved-by-jesus/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [“We are much more than pretty... we are wonderfully made. We are much more than likable... we are deeply loved. We are much more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holley-gerth/we-are-much-more-than-pretty-we-are-wonderfully-made-we-are-much-more/) [Holley Gerth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holley-gerth/) > [It's an incredible mystery of God's love that the more you know how deeply you are loved, the more you will see how deeply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/it-s-an-incredible-mystery-of-god-s-love-that-the-more-you-know-how/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) ## More by Martin Esslin > [The Theatre of the Absurd ... can be seen as the reflection of what seems to be the attitude most genuinely representative of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-esslin/the-theatre-of-the-absurd-can-be-seen-as-the-reflection-of-what-seems/) [Martin Esslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-esslin/) > [There is a lot of dignity in having the ability to confront the inconsequence of reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-esslin/there-is-a-lot-of-dignity-in-having-the-ability-to-confront-the/) [Martin Esslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-esslin/) > [The Theatre of the Absurd is a theatrical embodiment and manifestation of existentialism. It is part reality and part nightmare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-esslin/the-theatre-of-the-absurd-is-a-theatrical-embodiment-and/) [Martin Esslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-esslin/) > [The dignity of man lies in his ability to face reality in all its meaninglessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-esslin/the-dignity-of-man-lies-in-his-ability-to-face-reality-in-all-its/) [Martin Esslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-esslin/) > [Today, when death and old age are increasingly concealed behind euphemisms and comforting baby talk, and life is threatened with being smothered in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-esslin/today-when-death-and-old-age-are-increasingly-concealed-behind/) [Martin Esslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-esslin/) > [The Theatre of the Absurd has renounced arguing about the absurdity of the human condition; it merely presents it in being - that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-esslin/the-theatre-of-the-absurd-has-renounced-arguing-about-the-absurdity/) [Martin Esslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-esslin/) [Explore all 7 Martin Esslin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-esslin/) ## 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": "It has been rightly said that what a critic wants to understand he must, at one time, have deeply loved, even if only for a fleeting moment.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martin Esslin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-esslin/it-has-been-rightly-said-that-what-a-critic-wants-to-understand-he/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Critics" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-esslin/it-has-been-rightly-said-that-what-a-critic-wants-to-understand-he/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/martin-esslin-49928_critics_it-has-been-rightly-said-that-what-a-cri_2744905.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/martin-esslin-49928_critics_it-has-been-rightly-said-that-what-a-cri_2744905.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/martin-esslin-49928_critics_it-has-been-rightly-said-that-what-a-cri_2744905.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It has been rightly said that what a critic wants to understand he must, at one time, have deeply loved…” — Martin Esslin", "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": "Martin Esslin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-esslin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It has been rightly said that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-esslin/it-has-been-rightly-said-that-what-a-critic-wants-to-understand-he/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-esslin/it-has-been-rightly-said-that-what-a-critic-wants-to-understand-he/#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 } } ] } ```