But in conceiving of criticism as a value system for what is "good" or
"bad," worthy or unworthy, there is another, implicit shape "criticism"
can take—a celebration of the good by systematic omission of the bad. To
put in front of the reader only works that are worthy, and to celebrate
those with a consistent editorial standard, is to create a framework
for what "good" means, and thus to implicitly outline the "bad," the
unworthy, by way of negative space around the good. The celebrator then
becomes a critic without being critical—at least not with the abrasive
connotations the term has come to bear—yet upholds the standards of
"good" and "bad" work with just as much rigor.
- Maria Popova
descensus Averno facilis est