--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One criticizes in others what one…" description: "\"One criticizes in others what one recognizes and despises in oneself. For example, an artist who is revolted by another’s ambitiousness.\" — Susan Sontag" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43e/susan-sontag-332_artist_one-criticizes-in-others-what-one-recogn_3050346.jpg" --- # One criticizes in others what one recognizes and despises… ![“One criticizes in others what one recognizes and despises in oneself. For example, an artist who is revolted by another’s ambitiousness.” quote by Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43e/susan-sontag-332_artist_one-criticizes-in-others-what-one-recogn_3050346.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43e/susan-sontag-332_artist_one-criticizes-in-others-what-one-recogn_3050346.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43e/susan-sontag-332_artist_one-criticizes-in-others-what-one-recogn_3050346.jpg) > “One criticizes in others what one recognizes and despises in oneself. For example, an artist who is revolted by another’s ambitiousness.” [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People project their own flaws onto others, criticizing traits they dislike in themselves. **In simple terms:** We blame others for our own flaws. Key Takeaway Recognize self‑bias before judging. Themes self‑awareness projection criticism Mood reflective introspective Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - personal relationships - workplace feedback - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology defense mechanisms Questions to Reflect On - What traits do you criticize in others that you see in yourself? - How can you turn criticism into self‑growth? A Different Perspective Self‑critique may be ignored, leading to repeated misjudgment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artist Revolted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist-revolted-5070650/) [Criticize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticize/) [Criticizes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticizes/) [Criticizes Recognizes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticizes-recognizes-5070648/) [Despise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despise/) [Despises Oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despises-oneself-5070647/) [Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example/) [Oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oneself/) [Recognizes Despises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognizes-despises-5070649/) ## Related quotes > [When someone criticizes or disagrees with you, a small ant of hatred and antagonism is born in your heart. If you do not squash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/when-someone-criticizes-or-disagrees-with-you-a-small-ant-of-hatred/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [A critic knows more than the author he criticizes, or just as much, or at least somewhat less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-edward-manning/a-critic-knows-more-than-the-author-he-criticizes-or-just-as-much-or/) [Henry Edward Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-edward-manning/) > [Hardly any one is able to see what is before him, just as it is in itself. He comes expecting one thing, he finds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-symons/hardly-any-one-is-able-to-see-what-is-before-him-just-as-it-is-in/) [Arthur Symons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-symons/) > [Listen more to the one who criticizes you and less to the one who praises you. Learn from them and do something about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kagame/listen-more-to-the-one-who-criticizes-you-and-less-to-the-one-who/) [Paul Kagame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kagame/) > [If someone criticizes me, I strike back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romario/if-someone-criticizes-me-i-strike-back/) [Romario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romario/) > [“When I read the Bible, the Bible criticizes me, I don't criticize the Bible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/when-i-read-the-bible-the-bible-criticizes-me-i-don-t-criticize-the/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“Society has never helped anyone; whether you do something right or wrong, it only criticizes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajay-k-pandey/society-has-never-helped-anyone-whether-you-do-something-right-or/) [Ajay K. 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I take that as a badge of honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-david/rush-limbaugh-criticizes-me-a-lot-on-the-air-i-take-that-as-a-badge/) [Laurie David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-david/) > [“bad men... aim at getting more than their share of advantages, while in labor and public service they fall short of their share; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/bad-men-aim-at-getting-more-than-their-share-of-advantages-while-in/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The one who praises you is a thief. The one who criticizes you is your true friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seungsahn/the-one-who-praises-you-is-a-thief-the-one-who-criticizes-you-is-your/) [Seungsahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seungsahn/) ## More by Susan Sontag > [the appetite for thinking must be regulated, as all sensible people know, for it may stifle one's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/the-appetite-for-thinking-must-be-regulated-as-all-sensible-people/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [We are ruled by quotations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/we-are-ruled-by-quotations/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [Unfortunately, moral beauty in art - like physical beauty in a person - is extremely perishable. 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To steel oneself against weakness. To make oneself more numb.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/as-objects-of-contemplation-images-of-the-atrocious-can-answer-to/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [The creative phase of an idea coincides with the period during which it insists, cantankerously, on its boundaries, on what makes it different; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/the-creative-phase-of-an-idea-coincides-with-the-period-during-which/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [Photographs objectify: they turn an event or a person into something that can be possessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/photographs-objectify-they-turn-an-event-or-a-person-into-something/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [I'm not interested in giving aid and comfort to the neo­-Conservatives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/i-m-not-interested-in-giving-aid-and-comfort-to-the-neo-conservatives/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [The feminist movement has been important to me because it's made me feel less odd and also because it has made me understand some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/the-feminist-movement-has-been-important-to-me-because-it-s-made-me/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) [Explore all 644 Susan Sontag quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. 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