--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The true critic is he who bears within…" description: "\"The true critic is he who bears within himself the dreams and ideas and feelings of myriad generations, and to whom no form of thought is alien, no emo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f6/oscar-wilde-16_aliens_the-true-critic-is-he-who-bears-within-h_3145696.jpg" --- # The true critic is he who bears within himself the dreams… ![“The true critic is he who bears within himself the dreams and ideas and feelings of myriad generations, and to whom no form of thought is alien, no emotional impulse obscure.” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f6/oscar-wilde-16_aliens_the-true-critic-is-he-who-bears-within-h_3145696.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f6/oscar-wilde-16_aliens_the-true-critic-is-he-who-bears-within-h_3145696.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f6/oscar-wilde-16_aliens_the-true-critic-is-he-who-bears-within-h_3145696.jpg) > “The true critic is he who bears within himself the dreams and ideas and feelings of myriad generations, and to whom no form of thought is alien, no emotional impulse obscure.” [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A true critic embraces all ideas and emotions across time, never dismissing any thought or feeling. **In simple terms:** A critic accepts every idea and feeling. Key Takeaway Be open to all perspectives. Themes open‑mindedness empathy critique Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - literary criticism - personal growth - cross‑generational dialogue Key Concepts generational memory intellectual humility Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance openness with discernment? - When might rejecting a thought be necessary? A Different Perspective May overlook practical relevance of some ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aliens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aliens/) [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Critic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critic/) [Critic Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critic-bears-5625639/) [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Critics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critics/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Feelings Myriad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings-myriad-5625638/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Impulse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impulse/) [Myriad Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myriad-generations-5625640/) [Obscure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obscure/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Thought Alien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-alien-892573/) [True Critic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-critic-1116769/) ## Related quotes > [A true critic, in the perusal of a book, is like a dog at a feast, whose thoughts and stomach are wholly set upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/a-true-critic-in-the-perusal-of-a-book-is-like-a-dog-at-a-feast-whose/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [the labors of the true critic are more essential to the author, even, than to the reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/the-labors-of-the-true-critic-are-more-essential-to-the-author-even/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [A true critic ought to dwell rather upon excellencies than imperfections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/a-true-critic-ought-to-dwell-rather-upon-excellencies-than/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [A true critic ought to dwell upon excellencies rather than imperfections, to discover the concealed beauties of a writer, and communicate to the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/a-true-critic-ought-to-dwell-upon-excellencies-rather-than/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“Ah! How little they must have had to think about, to have been able to read so much. And when I actually find it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhaur/ah-how-little-they-must-have-had-to-think-about-to-have-been-able-to/) [Arthur Schopenhaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhaur/) > [“These reasonings will furnish us with an adequate definition of a true critic: that he is a discoverer and collector of writers’ faults. Which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/these-reasonings-will-furnish-us-with-an-adequate-definition-of-a/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [True critic is someone who loves movies and understands it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-khan/true-critic-is-someone-who-loves-movies-and-understands-it/) [Sajid Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-khan/) > [Hundred million times better false fans are a true critic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/hundred-million-times-better-false-fans-are-a-true-critic/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [No publisher should ever express an opinion of the value of what he publishes. That is a matter entirely for the literary critic to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/no-publisher-should-ever-express-an-opinion-of-the-value-of-what-he/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Artists reproduce themselves or each other, with wearisome iteration. But criticism is always moving on, and the critic is always developing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/artists-reproduce-themselves-or-each-other-with-wearisome-iteration/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [A critic should be taught to criticise a work of art without making any reference to the personality of the author.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/a-critic-should-be-taught-to-criticise-a-work-of-art-without-making/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The job of the critic is to report to us his moods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-job-of-the-critic-is-to-report-to-us-his-moods/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“And criticism - what place is that to have in our culture? Well, I think that the first duty of an art critic is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/and-criticism-what-place-is-that-to-have-in-our-culture-well-i-think/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-balliett/) > [I am absolutely my own biggest critic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lando-norris/i-am-absolutely-my-own-biggest-critic/) [Lando Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lando-norris/) ## More by Oscar Wilde > [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-books-that-the-world-calls-immoral-are-the-books-that-show-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Bachelors should be heavily taxed. 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For these there is hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/those-who-find-beautiful-meanings-in-beautiful-things-are-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Men always want to be a womans first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a mans last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-always-want-to-be-a-womans-first-love-women-have-a-more-subtle/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Why is it that at a bachelor's establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/why-is-it-that-at-a-bachelor-s-establishment-the-servants-invariably/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. More than enough is as good as a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/moderation-is-a-fatal-thing-enough-is-as-bad-as-a-meal-more-than/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm. Philosophies fall away like sand, creeds follow one another, but what is beautiful is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/beauty-is-the-only-thing-that-time-cannot-harm-philosophies-fall-away/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) [Explore all 3,343 Oscar Wilde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More Aliens quotes > [My days – the blossom of my youth and the flower of my manhood – have been darkened by the dreariness of servitude. 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