Barring the personal nature of the criticisms above, which I’ll get to in a bit, criticism is good for the reasons below.
- For someone to criticize you, it means that he/she cared . The person could have used that time to do something else, but no, he/she bothered to send you that message, showing that he/she cared.
- You are reaching new people. Every time I receive criticism, I celebrate because that means that I have just reached someone new — someone who doesn’t necessarily agree with what I say/do.
I think what’s most worrying is if I don’t get any criticism at all. That means that you are touching more lives than before. That’s a really great thing. - People wouldn’t criticize you if they didn’t think you were worth criticizing. To be honest, there are tons of things worth critiquing out there. But not everyone takes the time to criticize things that they don’t agree with. Why? That’s because they don’t feel that those things are worth their criticisms at all. If someone is criticizing you, that probably means that there’s something about you that is worth them taking the time to criticize.
- Criticism lets you see things in a different light. Criticism arises as a result of a conflict in thoughts. You did or said something and someone has a different opinion and hence the criticism. Hence, whenever you receive criticism, you are hearing a different viewpoint — one which you may have never considered before. This criticism helps you see things from a different angle, hence raising your awareness.
- Criticism is a form of honesty as it lets you know what others truly think. I prefer to be with someone who openly shares what he/she thinks rather than someone who thinks those very thoughts BUT keeps them to him/herself. With the first person, at least what I see is what I get.
With the latter, the relationship becomes a guessing game.
- Criticism helps you improve. Criticism lets you know your blind spots so that you can work on them. The more blind spots you uncover about yourself, the faster you grow.
- Criticism helps you learn about your defense mechanisms. Even when I get a piece of criticism which has no validity, I still learn a ton about myself based on the emotions that surface when receiving the criticism and how I react. I’ve learned that my reactions are usually a reflection of unprocessed inner issues. Working through these reactions has helped me become a calmer and more conscious person.
- Criticism helps you learn more about others. Every criticism tells you something about yourself and the other person. When you break down the comment, you can understand the critic’s point of view, beliefs, and values. This is helpful in furthering your relationship with him/her.
- Criticism can jolt you into action. Ever had a time where a criticism kicked you into action? Sometimes, criticism provides that wake-up call that you have been missing. Perhaps you have been doing something wrong but the people around you are just too nice to let you know, or they are oblivious to the issue just like you.
A well-timed criticism, delivered in an appropriate manner, can provide a much-needed insight which then ignites you into action.
- How To Embrace Constructive Criticism and Leave the Rest Behind
- Listen to what a critic is saying.
- Don’t be defensive.
- Don’t expose myself to criticism from people I don’t respect.
- Delay my reaction.
- Admit my mistakes.
- Enjoy the fun of failure.
GoodSoul.in 