The Value of Criticism

  Going through lots of old stuff again today. Here’s a brilliant quote, from Creative Management by William Marsteller, who with Harold Burson started their eponymous agency. Not so easy to find today, perhaps because people don’t keep books like this around anymore. It’s from 1981, the antique age of communications. Age and time has diminished the book, written in a style that I’d like to try someday. It’s what I generally call “intelligensitrivia” – an insight collection of stuff, stories, thoughts, truths, testimonials, narrative, quotes, tra la la.

Here’s a quote I like about the value of criticism.

“All of us by nature easily fall in love with our own ideas, our own words. Excellence is born of intelligent criticism. And maturity is the product of the self-confidence that seeks, accepts and benefits from criticism. To avoid it is a symptom of personal weakness or low ability or both.”