The Washington times., 1918-11-01

i In the works of Pliny the Roman historian you will
find interesting story of Apees the great painter OF
ancient Greece ,-.. -. 81.
Like the great generals and statesmen of his time,
Apeles had trouble in getting HONEST criticism of his
His trucking friends would lie to him rather than tell
him they thought his pictures bad, and WHY they
Because he was GREAT artist he knew that he could
not improve without friendly criticism and he adopted an
ingenious plan to get it.
BE would exhibit his pictures to public view in his
studio and hiding behind curtain listen to the com
of the people who looked at them in ignorance OF
One day he heard one of his pictures censured by
shoemaker for having one latchet too few
The artist hastened to correct the the next day.
and when the shoemaker his criticism had been OF some
use to painter he proceeded to find fault with the shape
of the leg above the shoe and to make other unfaVorabe
comments the picture.
ApeIles full of wrath at this presumption popped his
ead out from behind the curtain and angry ordered the
shoemaker to stickto his trade piece OF advice which
Soon passed into pruverb.
There are many critics today like the luckess shoe
maker who irritated the Greek artist
Because they happen to know little about the work
of others they crticise ALL finding petty faults picking
flaws and solenly asserting that THEY would have done
everything differently.
It is this kind of criticism which makes harder the eff
forts of the who is trying to do things bet
ter than they have been done before.
Intelligent and friendly criticism is not only helpful
but it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO SUCCESS
mans best work is done not for himself but for
Others and unless he knows whether or not it is acceptable
to others, he is unable to do it well.
Friendly criticism has made many do things they
could never have done unaded it has shown them their
faults and taught the way to correct them
But unntelhgent fautfinding like the shoemaker's
criticism of the leg painted by the Greek artist only
to ate and annoy the object of it, and often dscour
ages and hampers him that he stops trying and sinks into
rut from which he can escape
All about Us men and women, full Of enthusiasm
and energy trying their best make real progress and
putting all their strength of mind and body into what they
are doing
To praise them continually would be to make the way
to too easy and to fill them with foolish and
unwarranted vanity that would be than discourage
ment
But to nothing but faults in their work point to
unmporant defects and search for things ctcise soon
dampens their enthusiasm and fills them with disgust for
their own work as well as for the opinions of others
Sharp and severe criticism B perhaps useful to actors
even it occasionally tends toward picking minor flaws
For actor-especaly men-live on praise and applause
from friendly and goodnatured audiences and were it not
for clear sighted critics they would become so CON
sumed with vanity to be useless
The same is true Of writer's speakers and all men OF
women whose work is sEouitted to generally friendly
public
Criticism in their case would be little closer and
Continued in Last Coumn)