"Censure is the tax a man pays to the public for being eminent"

This quote by Jonathan Swift suggests that when a person succeeds and stands out from the crowd, they will be subject to criticism and judgement from the general public. This criticism resembles a tax that the individual should spend for their success. It suggests that the more successful an individual is, the more criticism they will receive. This is due to the fact that people are typically envious of those who succeed and may attempt to bring them down. The quote also recommends that criticism is inescapable and that it is something that effective individuals must accept and find out to deal with. It is a pointer that success includes a price which criticism is part of the journey.