Why critics are important

A.O. Scott, writing for the NY Times:

No reader will agree with a critic all the time, and no critic requires obedience or assent from readers. What we do hope for is trust. We try to earn it through the quality of our writing and the clarity of our thought, and by telling the truth. The truth, in this case, about what we thought about what we saw, read or heard.

That's true.

I turn to critics I trust to help me sift through the many options of films, movies, plays, and books. I also ask my close friends and family for such advice. I don't take all of them seriously. I leave room for experimentation and discovery.