--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Praise without merit is more harmful than…" description: "\"Praise without merit is more harmful than unearned criticism.\" — Roger Ebert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/roger-ebert-655_criticism_praise-without-merit-is-more-harmful-tha_2882516.jpg" --- # Praise without merit is more harmful than unearned… ![“Praise without merit is more harmful than unearned criticism.” quote by Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/roger-ebert-655_criticism_praise-without-merit-is-more-harmful-tha_2882516.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/roger-ebert-655_criticism_praise-without-merit-is-more-harmful-tha_2882516.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/roger-ebert-655_criticism_praise-without-merit-is-more-harmful-tha_2882516.jpg) > “Praise without merit is more harmful than unearned criticism.” [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Empty praise can cause more damage than criticism that lacks basis, because it creates false confidence and masks real issues. **In simple terms:** Unearned praise harms more than unearned criticism. Key Takeaway Avoid giving praise without justification. Themes honesty feedback integrity Mood cautious reflective Type advice observational When to use this quote - team meetings - performance reviews - public speaking - leadership training Key Concepts psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure feedback is genuine? - What are the risks of unearned praise? A Different Perspective Praise without merit may be well-intentioned but can erode trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Harmful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmful/) [Harmful Unearned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmful-unearned-4002496/) [Merit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merit/) [Merit Harmful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merit-harmful-4002494/) [Praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praise/) [Praise Merit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praise-merit-4002495/) [Unearned Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unearned-criticism-4002493/) ## Related quotes > [“But where's the man, who counsel can bestow, Still pleas'd to teach, and yet not proud to know? 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Others will do that for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-is-harmful-to-compare-yourself-to-others-others-will-do-that-for/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [I think it is totally wrong and terribly harmful if education is defined as acquiring knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/i-think-it-is-totally-wrong-and-terribly-harmful-if-education-is/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [“Unfortunately, you are far more likely to be harmed or die prematurely as a direct result of modern society than you are from any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/unfortunately-you-are-far-more-likely-to-be-harmed-or-die-prematurely/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“People should get their information from the source with facts before sharing it. 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And a bad man is simply one whose life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhang-zhao/what-is-a-good-man-simply-one-whose-life-is-useful-to-the-world-and-a/) [Zhang Zhao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhang-zhao/) > [One of the most harmful things in the music industry is 'record-by-committee,' where 10 people from the label gather around, and they make you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benji-madden/one-of-the-most-harmful-things-in-the-music-industry-is-record-by/) [Benji Madden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benji-madden/) > [Heartless though it may seem to some, among the least harmful things to eat are sustainably culled wild animals. In the absence of natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tristram-stuart/heartless-though-it-may-seem-to-some-among-the-least-harmful-things/) [Tristram Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tristram-stuart/) > [My understanding has always been that if there is any indication that pesticides are harmful, that they would not be allowed to be used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-deukmejian/my-understanding-has-always-been-that-if-there-is-any-indication-that/) [George Deukmejian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-deukmejian/) > [Too much principle is often more harmful than too little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/too-much-principle-is-often-more-harmful-than-too-little/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) ## More by Roger Ebert > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [It is an interesting law of romance that a truly strong woman will choose a strong man who disagrees with her over a weak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-is-an-interesting-law-of-romance-that-a-truly-strong-woman-will/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I am, beneath everything else, a fan. I was fixed in this mode as a young boy and am awed by people who take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-am-beneath-everything-else-a-fan-i-was-fixed-in-this-mode-as-a/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [“We’d had a revelation. This was the direction American movies should take: into idiosyncratic characters, into dialogue with an ear for the vulgar and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/we-d-had-a-revelation-this-was-the-direction-american-movies-should/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [“Most courtroom movies feel it necessary to end with a clear-cut verdict. But 12 Angry Men never states whether the defendant is innocent or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/most-courtroom-movies-feel-it-necessary-to-end-with-a-clear-cut/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [What every human being should do is eat a vegetarian diet based on whole foods. Period. That's it. 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It's usually good or bad for other reasons, though you might agree or disagree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/a-movie-isn-t-good-or-bad-based-on-its-politics-it-s-usually-good-or/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [It is human nature to look away from illness. We don't enjoy a reminder of our own fragile mortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-is-human-nature-to-look-away-from-illness-we-don-t-enjoy-a/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [ Gene \[Siskel\] often mentioned something François Truffaut once told him: the most beautiful sight in a movie theater is to walk down to the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/gene-siskel-often-mentioned-something-fran-ois-truffaut-once-told-him/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [A movie is not about what it is about. It is about how it is about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/a-movie-is-not-about-what-it-is-about-it-is-about-how-it-is-about-it/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [James Cameron's films have always been distinguished by ground-breaking technical excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/james-cameron-s-films-have-always-been-distinguished-by-ground/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Friends don't let Jackasses drink and drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/friends-don-t-let-jackasses-drink-and-drive/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I think we have to get beyond the idea that we have to categorize people. We can now have action movies with two stars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-think-we-have-to-get-beyond-the-idea-that-we-have-to-categorize/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) [Explore all 427 Roger Ebert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) ## 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": "Praise without merit is more harmful than unearned criticism.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Roger Ebert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/praise-without-merit-is-more-harmful-than-unearned-criticism/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Criticism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/praise-without-merit-is-more-harmful-than-unearned-criticism/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/roger-ebert-655_criticism_praise-without-merit-is-more-harmful-tha_2882516.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/roger-ebert-655_criticism_praise-without-merit-is-more-harmful-tha_2882516.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/roger-ebert-655_criticism_praise-without-merit-is-more-harmful-tha_2882516.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Praise without merit is more harmful than unearned criticism.” — Roger Ebert", "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": "Roger Ebert", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Praise without merit is more harmful...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/praise-without-merit-is-more-harmful-than-unearned-criticism/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/praise-without-merit-is-more-harmful-than-unearned-criticism/#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 } } ] } ```