--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't take criticism lying down." description: "\"I don't take criticism lying down.\" — William Westmoreland" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/william-westmoreland-18684_criticism_i-don-t-take-criticism-lying-down-229292_2292928.jpg" --- # I don't take criticism lying down. ![“I don't take criticism lying down.” quote by William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/william-westmoreland-18684_criticism_i-don-t-take-criticism-lying-down-229292_2292928.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/william-westmoreland-18684_criticism_i-don-t-take-criticism-lying-down-229292_2292928.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/william-westmoreland-18684_criticism_i-don-t-take-criticism-lying-down-229292_2292928.jpg) > “I don't take criticism lying down.” [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker refuses to accept criticism passively, implying a confrontational stance. **In simple terms:** Rejects passive acceptance of criticism. Key Takeaway Stand up to criticism. Themes criticism defensiveness assertiveness growth Mood defiant assertive Type personal professional When to use this quote - debate - leadership - personal development Key Concepts psychology communication Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle criticism constructively? - When is resistance useful? A Different Perspective Could hinder learning from feedback. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Criticism Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism-lying-5394411/) [Don Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-criticism-269478/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [Don't take criticism personally; take from it what's useful. Apply it and move on to something better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-tate/don-t-take-criticism-personally-take-from-it-what-s-useful-apply-it/) [Catherine Tate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-tate/) > [Militarily, we succeeded in Vietnam. We won every engagement we were involved in out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/militarily-we-succeeded-in-vietnam-we-won-every-engagement-we-were/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [President Johnson did not want the Vietnam War to broaden. He wanted the North Vietnamese to leave their brothers in the South alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/president-johnson-did-not-want-the-vietnam-war-to-broaden-he-wanted/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [People are so docile right now. It is almost as if good government means when the politicians lie to us for our own good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/people-are-so-docile-right-now-it-is-almost-as-if-good-government/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [A man should be upright, not kept upright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/a-man-should-be-upright-not-kept-upright/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [I don't surround myself with a lower quality of human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-don-t-surround-myself-with-a-lower-quality-of-human/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [So often do you see collegians enter life with high resolve and lofty purpose and then watch them shrink and shrink to sordid, selfish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/so-often-do-you-see-collegians-enter-life-with-high-resolve-and-lofty/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Our thoughts are either focused on what's eternal, life-changing, and true, or lost in the details of our temporary, selfish, false beliefs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/our-thoughts-are-either-focused-on-what-s-eternal-life-changing-and/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [It amazes me how selfish some people are and how rude people can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-amazes-me-how-selfish-some-people-are-and-how-rude-people-can-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/) [Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/) > [I don't try to be something I'm not, I don't try to pretend that I'm something I'm not, I don't try to present myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-capuano/i-don-t-try-to-be-something-i-m-not-i-don-t-try-to-pretend-that-i-m/) [Michael Capuano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-capuano/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/) [Maureen Andeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-andeson/) ## More by William Westmoreland > [President Johnson did not want the Vietnam War to broaden. He wanted the North Vietnamese to leave their brothers in the South alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/president-johnson-did-not-want-the-vietnam-war-to-broaden-he-wanted/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [Without censorship, things can get terribly confused in the public mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/without-censorship-things-can-get-terribly-confused-in-the-public-mind/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [Militarily, we succeeded in Vietnam. We won every engagement we were involved in out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/militarily-we-succeeded-in-vietnam-we-won-every-engagement-we-were/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [“the militay dont start wars, politicians start wars”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/the-militay-dont-start-wars-politicians-start-wars/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [I have no apologies, no regrets. I gave my very best efforts… I've been hung in effigy. I've been spat upon. You just have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/i-have-no-apologies-no-regrets-i-gave-my-very-best-efforts-i-ve-been/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [I do not believe that the men who served in uniform in Vietnam have been given the credit they deserve. It was a difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/i-do-not-believe-that-the-men-who-served-in-uniform-in-vietnam-have/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [When I took command in Vietnam, I gave great emphasis to food and medical care - and to the mail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/when-i-took-command-in-vietnam-i-gave-great-emphasis-to-food-and/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [Television is an instrument which can paralyze this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/television-is-an-instrument-which-can-paralyze-this-country/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [We had the best food any battlefield ever had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/we-had-the-best-food-any-battlefield-ever-had/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [By the end of the summer of 1973 I thought it was virtually impossible for South Vietnam to survive. How in the heck could they?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/by-the-end-of-the-summer-of-1973-i-thought-it-was-virtually/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [When the soldiers came home from Vietnam, there were no parades, no celebrations. So they built the Vietnam Memorial for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/when-the-soldiers-came-home-from-vietnam-there-were-no-parades-no/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [My wife was my greatest asset. I didn't marry her until after World War II, but she has complemented me in every job I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/my-wife-was-my-greatest-asset-i-didn-t-marry-her-until-after-world/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [The politicians in Washington just had no idea about the complexity of the situation in South Vietnam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/the-politicians-in-washington-just-had-no-idea-about-the-complexity/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [This was a type of war that we'd had no experience with before. Some of our policies were kind of trial and error in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/this-was-a-type-of-war-that-we-d-had-no-experience-with-before-some/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [We'll blast them back into the stone ages!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/we-ll-blast-them-back-into-the-stone-ages/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) [Explore all 34 William Westmoreland quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) ## 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": "I don't take criticism lying down.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Westmoreland" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/i-don-t-take-criticism-lying-down/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Criticism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/i-don-t-take-criticism-lying-down/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/william-westmoreland-18684_criticism_i-don-t-take-criticism-lying-down-229292_2292928.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/william-westmoreland-18684_criticism_i-don-t-take-criticism-lying-down-229292_2292928.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/william-westmoreland-18684_criticism_i-don-t-take-criticism-lying-down-229292_2292928.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't take criticism lying down.” — William Westmoreland", "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 Westmoreland", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't take criticism lying down.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/i-don-t-take-criticism-lying-down/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/i-don-t-take-criticism-lying-down/#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 } } ] } ```