--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you criticize what you’re doing too…" description: "\"If you criticize what you’re doing too early you’ll never write the first line.\" — Max Frisch" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/max-frisch-7469_criticize_if-you-criticize-what-you-re-doing-too-e_2458845.jpg" --- # If you criticize what you’re doing too early you’ll never… ![“If you criticize what you’re doing too early you’ll never write the first line.” quote by Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/max-frisch-7469_criticize_if-you-criticize-what-you-re-doing-too-e_2458845.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/max-frisch-7469_criticize_if-you-criticize-what-you-re-doing-too-e_2458845.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/max-frisch-7469_criticize_if-you-criticize-what-you-re-doing-too-e_2458845.jpg) > “If you criticize what you’re doing too early you’ll never write the first line.” [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Premature self‑criticism stalls creativity; allowing ideas to develop before judging them is essential for progress. **In simple terms:** Criticizing too early stops you from starting. Key Takeaway Delay judgment to foster creation. Themes creativity self‑criticism productivity writing confidence Mood reflective encouraging Type creative motivational When to use this quote - authoring - artistic projects - entrepreneurial ventures - personal development Key Concepts growth mindset creative process self‑efficacy Questions to Reflect On - When have you halted a project due to early doubt? - How can you balance critique with momentum? A Different Perspective Fear of failure can inhibit innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Don't criticize someone doing something you said couldn't be done”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-earhart/don-t-criticize-someone-doing-something-you-said-couldn-t-be-done/) [Amelia Earhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-earhart/) > [“If you criticize what you’re doing too early you’ll never write the first line.” \[ Paris Review , interview with Jodi Daynard, The Art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/if-you-criticize-what-you-re-doing-too-early-you-ll-never-write-the-2/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [I write line by line, by the sound and the weight and the music of the words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayne-anne-phillips/i-write-line-by-line-by-the-sound-and-the-weight-and-the-music-of-the/) [Jayne Anne Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayne-anne-phillips/) > [“So what are you two doing here this early anyway?" Bubba asked, changing the subject. "Don't you have football practise?" Nick let loose an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/so-what-are-you-two-doing-here-this-early-anyway-bubba-asked-changing/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [I would not have been capable of doing that early in my career. Putting my ego in my back pocket and saying let's do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lee/i-would-not-have-been-capable-of-doing-that-early-in-my-career/) [David Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lee/) > [For years, I believed that anything worth doing was worth doing early. In graduate school, I submitted my dissertation two years in advance. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/for-years-i-believed-that-anything-worth-doing-was-worth-doing-early/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [Even if you go out there and try to make the most vanilla, non-offensive TV show possible, people are going to criticize you for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sadoski/even-if-you-go-out-there-and-try-to-make-the-most-vanilla-non/) [Thomas Sadoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sadoski/) > [Criticism is something that you have to take, regardless of what you do. Even if you go out there and try to make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sadoski/criticism-is-something-that-you-have-to-take-regardless-of-what-you/) [Thomas Sadoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sadoski/) > [The very purpose of religion is to control yourself, not to criticize others. Rather, we must criticize ourselves. How much am I doing about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-very-purpose-of-religion-is-to-control-yourself-not-to-criticize/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [He who does not expect a million readers should not write a line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/he-who-does-not-expect-a-million-readers-should-not-write-a-line/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“Write, if it be but a line a day”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornwall/write-if-it-be-but-a-line-a-day/) Cornwall > [If you write a whole line of zeroes, it's still — nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/if-you-write-a-whole-line-of-zeroes-it-s-still-nothing/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [never write a line you'd be ashamed to read at your own funeral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-write-a-line-you-d-be-ashamed-to-read-at-your-own-funeral/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Why do I find it hard to write the next line?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-kemp/why-do-i-find-it-hard-to-write-the-next-line/) [Gary Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-kemp/) > [“The quick and dirty way is to write down a one-line description, in the simplest terms possible, of what I’m creating, along with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/the-quick-and-dirty-way-is-to-write-down-a-one-line-description-in/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) ## More by Max Frisch > [The dignity of man is in free choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/the-dignity-of-man-is-in-free-choice/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [“-only human beings can recognize catastrophes, provided they survive them; Nature recognizes no catastrophes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/only-human-beings-can-recognize-catastrophes-provided-they-survive/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [We live technologically, with man as the master of nature, man as the engineer, and let anyone who raises his voice against it stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/we-live-technologically-with-man-as-the-master-of-nature-man-as-the/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [We asked for workers. 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It justifies much in the lives of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/our-guilt-has-its-uses-it-justifies-much-in-the-lives-of-others/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [There is no such thing, as far as I'm concerned, as ownership in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/there-is-no-such-thing-as-far-as-i-m-concerned-as-ownership-in-love/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [Thou shalt not, it is said, make unto thee any graven image of God. The same commandment should apply when God is taken to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/thou-shalt-not-it-is-said-make-unto-thee-any-graven-image-of-god-the/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [A society needs famous people; the question is whom it chooses for that role. 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But the best camouflage of all - in my opinion - is the plain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/a-joke-is-a-good-camouflage-next-best-comes-sentiment-but-the-best/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [I took the standpoint that the profession of technologist, a man who masters matter, is a masculine profession, if not the only masculine profession…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/i-took-the-standpoint-that-the-profession-of-technologist-a-man-who/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) [Explore all 67 Max Frisch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) ## More Criticize quotes > [When I passed the Chancellor he arose, waved his hand at me, and I waved back at him. I think the writers showed bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/when-i-passed-the-chancellor-he-arose-waved-his-hand-at-me-and-i/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [Lavish praise on people and people will flourish; criticize people and they'll shrivel up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/lavish-praise-on-people-and-people-will-flourish-criticize-people-and/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [You can criticize Trump and his wealth all day long, but you can't say he hasn't worked. You can say that about the Clintons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/you-can-criticize-trump-and-his-wealth-all-day-long-but-you-can-t-say/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Those who lack the confidence and esteem to make the decisions that they need to make for themselves, are usually the same ones who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/those-who-lack-the-confidence-and-esteem-to-make-the-decisions-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The privilege of prayer to me is one of the most cherished possessions, because faith and experience alike convince me that God himself sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-grenfell/the-privilege-of-prayer-to-me-is-one-of-the-most-cherished/) [Wilfred Grenfell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-grenfell/) > [We are all too keenly aware that those of you who supported us by purchasing the 3DS in the beginningmay feel betrayed and criticize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satoru-iwata/we-are-all-too-keenly-aware-that-those-of-you-who-supported-us-by/) [Satoru Iwata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satoru-iwata/) > [Woody Allen is a genius. His films are wonderful. He's poetic, but he's also a critic. He artfully steps back from a social setting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/woody-allen-is-a-genius-his-films-are-wonderful-he-s-poetic-but-he-s/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [Men can be divided into 2 groups: one that goes ahead and achieves something, and one that comes after and criticizes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/men-can-be-divided-into-2-groups-one-that-goes-ahead-and-achieves/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [If you don't allow people to contribute, to offer their point of view, or to criticize what has been put before them, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/if-you-don-t-allow-people-to-contribute-to-offer-their-point-of-view/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-plenty-to-criticize-about-the-mass-media-but-they-are-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [When we criticize in Iran the actions of the government, the fundamentalists say that we and the Bush Administration are in the same camp.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/when-we-criticize-in-iran-the-actions-of-the-government-the/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [When I first prepared this particular talk... I realized that my usual approach is usually critical. That is, a lot of the things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/when-i-first-prepared-this-particular-talk-i-realized-that-my-usual/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) Browse all 1,182 Criticize quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you criticize what you’re doing too early you’ll never write the first line.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Max Frisch" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/if-you-criticize-what-you-re-doing-too-early-you-ll-never-write-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Criticize" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/if-you-criticize-what-you-re-doing-too-early-you-ll-never-write-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/max-frisch-7469_criticize_if-you-criticize-what-you-re-doing-too-e_2458845.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/max-frisch-7469_criticize_if-you-criticize-what-you-re-doing-too-e_2458845.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/max-frisch-7469_criticize_if-you-criticize-what-you-re-doing-too-e_2458845.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you criticize what you’re doing too early you’ll never write the first line.” — Max Frisch", "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": "Max Frisch", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you criticize what you’re doing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/if-you-criticize-what-you-re-doing-too-early-you-ll-never-write-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/if-you-criticize-what-you-re-doing-too-early-you-ll-never-write-the/#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 } } ] } ```