--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the hardest things to live with in…" description: "\"One of the hardest things to live with in any relationship is criticism, real or implied. Criticism is a form of humor for them, and they enjoy feeling..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/robert-e-wells-61546_criticism_one-of-the-hardest-things-to-live-with-i_917080.png" --- # One of the hardest things to live with in any relationship… ![“One of the hardest things to live with in any relationship is criticism, real or implied. Criticism is a form of humor for them, and they enjoy feeling superior when they see someone else's discomfort.” quote by Robert E. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/robert-e-wells-61546_criticism_one-of-the-hardest-things-to-live-with-i_917080.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/robert-e-wells-61546_criticism_one-of-the-hardest-things-to-live-with-i_917080.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/robert-e-wells-61546_criticism_one-of-the-hardest-things-to-live-with-i_917080.png) > “One of the hardest things to live with in any relationship is criticism, real or implied. Criticism is a form of humor for them, and they enjoy feeling superior when they see someone else's discomfort.” [Robert E. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-wells/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Criticism, often disguised as humor, can erode relationships by asserting superiority. **In simple terms:** Criticism as humor shows superiority and hurts. Key Takeaway Address criticism directly and set boundaries. Themes communication power dynamics emotional health Mood cautious empathetic Type advice reflective When to use this quote - marriage - friendships - workplace - family gatherings Key Concepts social psychology conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - How do you respond when criticized? - What boundaries protect you from hurtful jokes? A Different Perspective Humor can sometimes be a harmless coping mechanism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Criticism Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism-form-702547/) [Criticism Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism-real-1388756/) [Discomfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discomfort/) [Enjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Hardest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardest/) [Hardest thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardest-thing/) [Implied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/implied/) [Implied Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/implied-criticism-1388758/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Relationship Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship-criticism-1388754/) [Superiors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superiors/) ## Related quotes > [Criticism is for real. The amount of hate that I get is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/badshah/criticism-is-for-real-the-amount-of-hate-that-i-get-is/) [Badshah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/badshah/) > [All criticism is a form of autobiography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/all-criticism-is-a-form-of-autobiography/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Criticism as a form of knowledge is capable of robbing literature not only of its own implicit and explicit ideology but of its ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/criticism-as-a-form-of-knowledge-is-capable-of-robbing-literature-not/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [A man should take to himself no discomfort from an opinion expressed or implied by his adversary, but it is difficult, and oftentimes humiliating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-v-debs/a-man-should-take-to-himself-no-discomfort-from-an-opinion-expressed/) [Eugene V. Debs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-v-debs/) > [There is an implied warranty that a commissioned work should last a lifetime. There is to be no charge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxfield-parrish/there-is-an-implied-warranty-that-a-commissioned-work-should-last-a/) [Maxfield Parrish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxfield-parrish/) > [What praise is implied in the simple epithet useful! What reproach in the contrary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/what-praise-is-implied-in-the-simple-epithet-useful-what-reproach-in/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [When the president acts in absence of a congressional grant of authority, he can rely only upon his own independent powers. When the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlen-specter/when-the-president-acts-in-absence-of-a-congressional-grant-of/) [Arlen Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlen-specter/) > [“Se l’amore implied, If this is love, then…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/se-l-amore-implied-if-this-is-love-then/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [You have to lead, in the case of a game show, a contestant through the architecture of the show. So there's a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/you-have-to-lead-in-the-case-of-a-game-show-a-contestant-through-the/) [Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/) > [The implied threat of using nuclear weapons to curb guerrillas was as absurd as to talk of using a sledge hammer to ward off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/the-implied-threat-of-using-nuclear-weapons-to-curb-guerrillas-was-as/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [I believed totally in the possibilities implied in the series. I never thought of it as fantasy. Far from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-troughton/i-believed-totally-in-the-possibilities-implied-in-the-series-i-never/) [Patrick Troughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-troughton/) > [Of course language manifests a belief only if we use its words with the implied acceptance of their appositeness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-polanyi/of-course-language-manifests-a-belief-only-if-we-use-its-words-with/) [Michael Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-polanyi/) > [It takes time for an acorn to turn into an oak, but the oak is already implied in the acorn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/it-takes-time-for-an-acorn-to-turn-into-an-oak-but-the-oak-is-already/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [Our Lord never referred to unanswered prayer. He taught that prayers are always answered: “Everyone who asks receives”. And He implied that prayers are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/our-lord-never-referred-to-unanswered-prayer-he-taught-that-prayers/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The neglect this implied, the suffering and wasted quality of human life were appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hollows/the-neglect-this-implied-the-suffering-and-wasted-quality-of-human/) [Fred Hollows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hollows/) ## More by Robert E. Wells > [Our closeness to the Lord will, in great measure, determine the peace and comfort and renewed strength that we feel as we invite the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-wells/our-closeness-to-the-lord-will-in-great-measure-determine-the-peace/) [Robert E. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-wells/) > [“Control your thoughts because they become the words you use. Control your words because they become the actions you perform. Control your actions because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-wells/control-your-thoughts-because-they-become-the-words-you-use-control/) [Robert E. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-wells/) > [At times we are thrown suddenly into positions that seem too big for us and for which we have little preparation. The Lord stimulates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-wells/at-times-we-are-thrown-suddenly-into-positions-that-seem-too-big-for/) [Robert E. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-wells/) > [We knew before we came (to earth) that there would be many adverse circumstances to test us: accidents, sickness, and disease to prove us;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-wells/we-knew-before-we-came-to-earth-that-there-would-be-many-adverse/) [Robert E. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-wells/) [Explore all 5 Robert E. Wells quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-wells/) ## More Criticism quotes > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [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/) > [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/) > [I'm more comfortable modelling as a man because I don't get any criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rain-dove/i-m-more-comfortable-modelling-as-a-man-because-i-don-t-get-any/) [Rain Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rain-dove/) > [I don't mind positive criticism, but when it is negative and personal, it is quite hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inzamam-ul-haq/i-don-t-mind-positive-criticism-but-when-it-is-negative-and-personal/) [Inzamam-ul-Haq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inzamam-ul-haq/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Everything is allowable in literature, but what is not allowable in criticism is objection on the grounds of probability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/everything-is-allowable-in-literature-but-what-is-not-allowable-in/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [Lots of relationships fail because we spend more time pointing out each other's mistakes and not enough time enjoying each other's company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lots-of-relationships-fail-because-we-spend-more-time-pointing-out/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [No man can be criticised but by a greater than he. Do not, then, read the reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/no-man-can-be-criticised-but-by-a-greater-than-he-do-not-then-read/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [People believe that criticism should be objective, whatever that means, but I really don't understand what people mean by that. I guess if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/people-believe-that-criticism-should-be-objective-whatever-that-means/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [I welcome criticism. I come from a - I wouldn't say mean, but you've got to have tough skin to be in my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saweetie/i-welcome-criticism-i-come-from-a-i-wouldn-t-say-mean-but-you-ve-got/) [Saweetie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saweetie/) > [The good author is he who contemplates without marked joy or excessive sorrow the adventures of his soul amongst criticisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-good-author-is-he-who-contemplates-without-marked-joy-or/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) [Browse all 3,954 Criticism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One of the hardest things to live with in any relationship is criticism, real or implied. Criticism is a form of humor for them, and they enjoy feeling superior when they see someone else's discomfort.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert E. 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