Quotes: Handling criticism
Handling criticism starts with accepting that you cannot control what others say or how they treat you, only how you respond. The pieces brought together here—from Nicky Gumbel and Herbert Bayard Swope to Kendrick Lamar—focus on that sphere of choice: preserving composure and clarity when criticized, and avoiding the self-defeating habit of trying to please everyone.
A common tension links these perspectives: the struggle to stay positive and true to oneself when others fail to see your worth, and the practical need to set emotional boundaries. These contributions encourage building inner resilience that maintains dignity without denying the reality of reproach.
3 quotes on this theme, each with its source and insight
The quotes
“Risk! Risk anything! Care no more for the opinion of others, for those voices. Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth.”
Source: The Journal of Katherine Mansfield, journal entry 14 October 1922 (published 1927) · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is documented as a Katherine Mansfield journal entry dated 14 October 1922 and published posthumously in The Journal of Katherine Mansfield (1927).
- What remains uncertain
- Minor textual variants are recorded (e.g. “those other voices” vs “those voices”); these reflect editorial transmission, not a different author.
A compact call to honest courage: choose what your conscience demands, not what others expect. Written as a private imperative, it presses creative and moral authenticity over public approval. The lines come from Mansfield’s personal journal.
“You can't change how people treat you or what they say about you. All you can do is change how you react to it.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is widely reproduced under Nicky Gumbel’s name on quotation websites, but no authenticated sermon, book, or verified social-media post has been located.
- What remains uncertain
- Attribution is disputed: a Twitter post dated 11 March 2014 is cited in some datasets but has not been independently verified, and no earlier source has been established.
The line captures a simple power: you can’t control others, but you can control your response. It echoes ideas from Stoic practice and modern therapy that emphasize personal agency in how we interpret and react to events. Its brevity explains why it spreads as everyday advice.
“I can't give you a sure-fire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- Modern quotation collections and reference sites repeatedly attribute the wording to Herbert Bayard Swope, but no primary source (speech, dated column, or manuscript) has been identified.
- What remains uncertain
- Attribution is disputed: consistent in secondary sources and likely genuine, but not firmly verified by a contemporaneous primary citation.
The line is a practical warning from early 20th‑century journalism: trying to please everyone destroys focus and a clear voice. Commonly credited to Herbert Bayard Swope, it’s used as advice for leaders and editors who must choose priorities over popularity.