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Why Noël Coward Preferred Unqualified Praise Over Criticism

“I can take any amount of criticism, so long as it is unqualified praise.” – NOEL COWARD
Unqualified praise, let us see what it means. Noel Coward said, “Praise good. Bad words, no good.” It is funny. He knew people. They like good words. Not bad. They say they take bad words. But they want praise. They want good words all the time. They do not want to hear bad things. They want to hear they are good.
Bad words hurt. Even good words hurt. But praise feels good. People want it. They do not want bad words. It is how people are. They want to feel good. Not bad. They want to hear good things. They do not want to hear bad things. They want to feel good all the time.
Noel Coward wrote plays. People watched. He knew how people talked. How they acted. This quote? It is like his plays. Funny. True. He knew what people wanted. He put it in his plays. He put the truth in his plays. People watched his plays. They saw the truth.
People want praise. All the time. They want it. It is not real. Real is hard. Hard words make us grow. We do not want to grow. We want praise. We want to hear good things. We do not want to hear bad things. We want to feel good.
Now, people want likes. On phones. They want praise. Like Coward said. But real is hard. Hard words are good. We need to hear them. Not just praise. We need to hear the truth. Not just good things.
We need to hear bad words. Not just good. We grow from bad. Not from good. Coward knew this. He was right. He said it. We should listen. We should hear the truth. We should grow.
Who is NOEL COWARD?
Noël Coward was a renowned English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, celebrated for his sharp wit and sophisticated style. Born in 1899, he gained fame for his comedic plays like “Blithe Spirit” and “Private Lives,” which showcased his clever dialogue and satirical humor. Coward’s talents extended to music, with songs like “Mad About the Boy” and “I’ll See You Again” becoming classics. His charm and flamboyant persona made him a prominent figure in British theater and entertainment. Knighted in 1970, Coward’s legacy remains influential in the world of drama and comedy.
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"I can take any amount of criticism, so long as it is unqualified praise." – NOEL COWARD Share on X