--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not the critic who counts, nor the…" description: "\"“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out where the strong man stumbled, nor where the doer of deeds could have done them better. “O..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/881/robert-k-tanenbaum-66361_religion_it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts-nor-the_2413247.jpg" --- # It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points… ![“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out where the strong man stumbled, nor where the doer of deeds could have done them better. “On the contrary, the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena—whose vision is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives…” quote by Robert K. Tanenbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/881/robert-k-tanenbaum-66361_religion_it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts-nor-the_2413247.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/881/robert-k-tanenbaum-66361_religion_it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts-nor-the_2413247.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/881/robert-k-tanenbaum-66361_religion_it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts-nor-the_2413247.jpg) > ““It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out where the strong man stumbled, nor where the doer of deeds could have done them better. “On the contrary, the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena—whose vision is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up again and again; who knows the great devotions, the great enthusiasms; who at best knows in the end the triumph of his achievement. “However,”” [Robert K. Tanenbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-k-tanenbaum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote praises those who take action and face risks over passive observers or critics. **In simple terms:** Action beats criticism. Key Takeaway Embrace risk and effort. Themes courage resilience leadership effort criticism Mood determined inspirational reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - political activism - sports competition - entrepreneurship - creative projects - personal challenges Key Concepts Stoicism heroic ideal public service Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle criticism? - What does being in the arena mean to you? A Different Perspective Critics can offer valuable feedback that may be ignored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arena Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arena-vision-6082357/) [Blood Strives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blood-strives-1196249/) [Man Points](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-points-1406992/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Strives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strives/) [Strives Valiantly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strives-valiantly-1196248/) [Strong man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-man/) ## Related quotes > [“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts-not-the-man-who-points-out-how-the/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts-not-the-man-who-points-out-how-the-2/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts-not-the-man-who-points-out-how-the-3/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [“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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-a-beckwith/) > [The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with dust and sweat; who strives valiantly; who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-credit-belongs-to-the-man-who-is-actually-in-the-arena-whose-face-2/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [“He drives a Saab. He’s the kind of man who points at people he doesn’t like the look of, as if they were burglars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/he-drives-a-saab-he-s-the-kind-of-man-who-points-at-people-he-doesn-t/) [Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/) > [When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing at himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-nizer/when-a-man-points-a-finger-at-someone-else-he-should-remember-that-2/) [Louis Nizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-nizer/) > [“There are always people you care about,” he said. “You just don’t realize how much until a bad man points a gun at them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-cox/there-are-always-people-you-care-about-he-said-you-just-don-t-realize/) [Greg Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-cox/) > [ Sometimes it's not about speed about power, it's about up here man \[points to his head\]. All these guys are not with me mentally. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrien-broner/sometimes-it-s-not-about-speed-about-power-it-s-about-up-here-man/) [Adrien Broner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrien-broner/) > [When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that three of his fingers are pointing at himself. Do not worry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/when-a-man-points-a-finger-at-someone-else-he-should-remember-that/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [We can always redeem the man who aspires and strives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-can-always-redeem-the-man-who-aspires-and-strives/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“She strives, understanding the futility of it, for perfection.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-coover/she-strives-understanding-the-futility-of-it-for-perfection/) [Robert Coover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-coover/) > [The one who always strives, That one can be redeemed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-one-who-always-strives-that-one-can-be-redeemed/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [We all have Tumblr, and we all have Instagram and everything. People care so much about it because, now, any random can be famous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/we-all-have-tumblr-and-we-all-have-instagram-and-everything-people/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [God loves to help him who strives to help himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/god-loves-to-help-him-who-strives-to-help-himself/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) ## More by Robert K. Tanenbaum > [“gaze. It had been a rhetorical question, and she was astounded”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-k-tanenbaum/gaze-it-had-been-a-rhetorical-question-and-she-was-astounded/) [Robert K. Tanenbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-k-tanenbaum/) > [“...language is sacred. It has glory, even in ordinary speech. The way most people use it, it's like a winged horse pulling a junk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-k-tanenbaum/language-is-sacred-it-has-glory-even-in-ordinary-speech-the-way-most/) [Robert K. Tanenbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-k-tanenbaum/) > [“family, especially our mothers. But”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-k-tanenbaum/family-especially-our-mothers-but/) [Robert K. Tanenbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-k-tanenbaum/) [Explore all 4 Robert K. Tanenbaum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-k-tanenbaum/) ## More Religion quotes > [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [The love religion is all that is written here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/the-love-religion-is-all-that-is-written-here/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Personal Style comes from within. It's when the woman, her individuality and spirit come through. She uses clothes to express who she is and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-karan/personal-style-comes-from-within-it-s-when-the-woman-her/) [Donna Karan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-karan/) > [No philosophy, no religion, has ever brought so glad a message to the world as this good news of Atheism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/no-philosophy-no-religion-has-ever-brought-so-glad-a-message-to-the/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [No religion has mandated killing others as a requirement for its sustenance or promotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-religion-has-mandated-killing-others-as-a-requirement-for-its/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Deepen your existing spiritual commitment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-buettner/deepen-your-existing-spiritual-commitment/) [Dan Buettner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-buettner/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Above Coblentz almost every mountain has a ruin and a legend. One feels everywhere the spirit of the past, and its stirring recollections come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-taylor/above-coblentz-almost-every-mountain-has-a-ruin-and-a-legend-one/) [Bayard Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-taylor/) [Browse all 58,737 Religion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out where the strong man stumbled, nor where the doer of deeds could have done them better. “On the contrary, the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena—whose vision is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up again and again; who knows the great devotions, the great enthusiasms; who at best knows in the end the triumph of his achievement. “However,”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert K. Tanenbaum" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-k-tanenbaum/it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts-nor-the-man-who-points-out-where-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Religion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-k-tanenbaum/it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts-nor-the-man-who-points-out-where-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/881/robert-k-tanenbaum-66361_religion_it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts-nor-the_2413247.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/881/robert-k-tanenbaum-66361_religion_it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts-nor-the_2413247.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/881/robert-k-tanenbaum-66361_religion_it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts-nor-the_2413247.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out where the strong man stumbled, nor where the…” — Robert K. Tanenbaum", "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": "Robert K. Tanenbaum", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-k-tanenbaum/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is not the critic who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-k-tanenbaum/it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts-nor-the-man-who-points-out-where-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-k-tanenbaum/it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts-nor-the-man-who-points-out-where-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 } } ] } ```