--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't apologize, justify or rationalize…" description: "\"Don't apologize, justify or rationalize bad art or bad writing. If you do, you are part of it.\" — Walter Darby Bannard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/walter-darby-bannard-6715_advice_don-t-apologize-justify-or-rationalize-b_1930101.png" --- # Don't apologize, justify or rationalize bad art or bad… ![“Don't apologize, justify or rationalize bad art or bad writing. If you do, you are part of it.” quote by Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/walter-darby-bannard-6715_advice_don-t-apologize-justify-or-rationalize-b_1930101.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/walter-darby-bannard-6715_advice_don-t-apologize-justify-or-rationalize-b_1930101.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/walter-darby-bannard-6715_advice_don-t-apologize-justify-or-rationalize-b_1930101.png) > “Don't apologize, justify or rationalize bad art or bad writing. If you do, you are part of it.” [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Defending poor art or writing makes you complicit in its flaws. **In simple terms:** Defending bad art makes you part of it. Key Takeaway Avoid defending low-quality work. Themes art criticism integrity responsibility Mood critical reflective Type analytical ethical When to use this quote - gallery reviews - creative workshops - literary circles Key Concepts ethical accountability aesthetic judgment Questions to Reflect On - Do you ever defend work you dislike? - How can critique be constructive? A Different Perspective Defending can be seen as supportive, not complicit. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Apologize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologize/) [Apologize Justify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologize-justify-3015216/) [Apologizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologizing/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Bad writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-writing/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Justify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justify/) [Justify Rationalize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justify-rationalize-753436/) [Rationalize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationalize/) [Rationalize Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationalize-bad-444830/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Your ability to rationalize your own bad deeds makes you believe that the whole world is as amoral as you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/your-ability-to-rationalize-your-own-bad-deeds-makes-you-believe-that/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Reality is what I make it. 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I'm offended as a writer first and as a person second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-bloom/jokes-that-are-gratuitously-offensive-are-synonymous-with-bad-writing/) [Rachel Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-bloom/) > [The world is a hellish place, and bad writing is destroying the quality of our suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/the-world-is-a-hellish-place-and-bad-writing-is-destroying-the/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [“There is one surefire way to produce bad writing: submit to the slavery of a deadline.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flavia-id/there-is-one-surefire-way-to-produce-bad-writing-submit-to-the/) [Flavia Idà](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flavia-id/) > [“Except in stock locutions, such as "You were paid yesterday," "The Germans were defeated," or "The project was abandoned," the passive voice is virtually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/except-in-stock-locutions-such-as-you-were-paid-yesterday-the-germans/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) ## More by Walter Darby Bannard > [The more freedom artists have to do what they want to do, the more they do what other artists are doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/the-more-freedom-artists-have-to-do-what-they-want-to-do-the-more/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [There are too many artists, too many dealers and too much art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/there-are-too-many-artists-too-many-dealers-and-too-much-art/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [Start a painting with fresh ideas, and then let the painting replace your ideas with its ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/start-a-painting-with-fresh-ideas-and-then-let-the-painting-replace/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [The struggle to be original hates conformity, but the struggle to be better disregards it, or takes advantage of it to build workable conventions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/the-struggle-to-be-original-hates-conformity-but-the-struggle-to-be/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [There is no best way to make art, but there are a lot of better ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/there-is-no-best-way-to-make-art-but-there-are-a-lot-of-better-ways/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [Of course I will look at anything, but I have not got the time or the patience to keep on looking at art that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/of-course-i-will-look-at-anything-but-i-have-not-got-the-time-or-the/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [Too much freedom inhibits choice. 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