If intellectuals are only willing to play the role of outside critics, he says, "They will end up 'like a dog barking at a train' and feel greatly frustrated."
林萬億提醒，若所有的知識分子都只顧扮演外部批判的角色，「在外面狗吠火車卻沒人理你時，受到的挫折感更大。」