--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best critics of America are Americans." description: "\"The best critics of America are Americans.\" — William Klein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/william-klein-9048_america_the-best-critics-of-america-are-american_268441.png" --- # The best critics of America are Americans. ![“The best critics of America are Americans.” quote by William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/william-klein-9048_america_the-best-critics-of-america-are-american_268441.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/william-klein-9048_america_the-best-critics-of-america-are-american_268441.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/william-klein-9048_america_the-best-critics-of-america-are-american_268441.png) > “The best critics of America are Americans.” [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) ## 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 points out that the most insightful critiques of a nation come from its own citizens. **In simple terms:** Americans often critique America best. Key Takeaway Listen to internal criticism. Themes national identity critique self‑reflection Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - political discourse - social media - public policy - education Key Concepts civic engagement media analysis Questions to Reflect On - Who are the most credible critics you encounter? - How does internal critique shape national identity? A Different Perspective Criticism may be biased by personal experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) ## Related quotes > [Unfortunately, cinema critics are very few in America, 400-500 people, but there are more critics of Iran.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/unfortunately-cinema-critics-are-very-few-in-america-400-500-people/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [There are hardly five critics in America; and several of them are asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/there-are-hardly-five-critics-in-america-and-several-of-them-are/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [America and Americans always rise to the occasion. If we say we are going to stamp out hunger, I believe we will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-brinkley/america-and-americans-always-rise-to-the-occasion-if-we-say-we-are/) [Christie Brinkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-brinkley/) > [The people of this country want an industrial policy that is for America and Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mckinley/the-people-of-this-country-want-an-industrial-policy-that-is-for/) [William McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mckinley/) > [Time is the best of critics; and patience the best of teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/time-is-the-best-of-critics-and-patience-the-best-of-teachers/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [The best critics leave the reader curious to pursue something further, but still to let the reader have his or her own honest, unique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hersch/the-best-critics-leave-the-reader-curious-to-pursue-something-further/) [Michael Hersch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hersch/) > [The best critics do not worry about what the author might think. That would be like a detective worrying about what a suspect might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-brown/the-best-critics-do-not-worry-about-what-the-author-might-think-that/) [Craig Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-brown/) > [Every American should be forced to live outside the United States for a year or two. Americans should be forced to see how ridiculous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/every-american-should-be-forced-to-live-outside-the-united-states-for/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I wouldn't make an anti-American film. I'm one of the most pro-American foreigners I know. I love America and Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-wouldn-t-make-an-anti-american-film-i-m-one-of-the-most-pro/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [People are always angry at America. They're absolutely certain that America either caused their problems or is deliberately not fixing their problems. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/people-are-always-angry-at-america-they-re-absolutely-certain-that/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [We should create an America in which it's - we can - Americans have a better chance to progress wages and job prospects, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/we-should-create-an-america-in-which-it-s-we-can-americans-have-a/) [Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/) > [Americans who read and think are patriots of the first order. The kind who know enough to roll their eyes whenever anyone tries to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/americans-who-read-and-think-are-patriots-of-the-first-order-the-kind/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [For my family and my neighbors, America stood for something real, something tangible. America, and therefore Americans, stood for freedom, family, truth and justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mcgrath/for-my-family-and-my-neighbors-america-stood-for-something-real/) [Amy McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mcgrath/) > [There is nothing wrong with America that Americans can't fix.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-nothing-wrong-with-america-that-americans-can-t-fix/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I have always been really troubled by the amount of poverty in America. Americans are matched in their rich democracy with the depth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/i-have-always-been-really-troubled-by-the-amount-of-poverty-in/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) ## More by William Klein > [I always thought I was going to be an artist. I used to draw, and I would read Russian novels until 3 or 4…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/i-always-thought-i-was-going-to-be-an-artist-i-used-to-draw-and-i/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) > [Being an expatriate doesn't go down well in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/being-an-expatriate-doesn-t-go-down-well-in-america/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) > [I was 24 years old at the time. I had no real notion of what photography was about. I had no training. By accident,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/i-was-24-years-old-at-the-time-i-had-no-real-notion-of-what/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) > [I have always done the opposite of what I was trained to do... Having little technical background, I became a photographer. Adopting a machine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/i-have-always-done-the-opposite-of-what-i-was-trained-to-do-having/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) > [My father was like Willy Loman, you know: he never really made it - and he was from a family where there were people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/my-father-was-like-willy-loman-you-know-he-never-really-made-it-and/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) > [My father was convinced that America was the greatest place in the world. I'm afraid I didn't have the family I would have dreamed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/my-father-was-convinced-that-america-was-the-greatest-place-in-the/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) > [This is supposed to be the Big Apple, with neighborhoods where the houses are all good-looking and the skyscrapers and everything. But to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/this-is-supposed-to-be-the-big-apple-with-neighborhoods-where-the/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) > [The English are very exotic to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/the-english-are-very-exotic-to-me/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) > [I feel like I'm doing something that's worthwhile. I feel like I'm showing something other people haven't shown. I don't get to talk to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/i-feel-like-i-m-doing-something-that-s-worthwhile-i-feel-like-i-m/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) > [The kinetic quality of New York, the kids, dirt, madness - I tried to find a photographic style that would come close to it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/the-kinetic-quality-of-new-york-the-kids-dirt-madness-i-tried-to-find/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) > [In America, kids would go to college and get out and buy a second-hand car and go across the country and discover America. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/in-america-kids-would-go-to-college-and-get-out-and-buy-a-second-hand/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) > [Sometimes, I'd take shots without aiming, just to see what happened. I'd rush into crowds - bang! bang! ... It must be close to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/sometimes-i-d-take-shots-without-aiming-just-to-see-what-happened-i-d/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) > [Don't have rules, taboos, or limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/don-t-have-rules-taboos-or-limits/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) > [My way of living and working is that I'll do my thing. I went from one thing to another. That annoyed people. They didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/my-way-of-living-and-working-is-that-i-ll-do-my-thing-i-went-from-one/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) > [I always dreamed of working in Paris, of going to the Coupole and slapping Picasso or Giacometti on the shoulder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/i-always-dreamed-of-working-in-paris-of-going-to-the-coupole-and/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) [Explore all 75 William Klein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The best critics of America are Americans.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Klein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/the-best-critics-of-america-are-americans/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/the-best-critics-of-america-are-americans/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/william-klein-9048_america_the-best-critics-of-america-are-american_268441.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/william-klein-9048_america_the-best-critics-of-america-are-american_268441.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/william-klein-9048_america_the-best-critics-of-america-are-american_268441.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The best critics of America are Americans.” — William Klein", "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": "William Klein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The best critics of America are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/the-best-critics-of-america-are-americans/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/the-best-critics-of-america-are-americans/#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 } } ] } ```