Contrary to popular belief, sometimes receiving a critique from someone can have the most positive influence on you. It all boils down to what you decide to do with it. Continue reading to learn how to use criticism to your advantage rather than to bring you down.
Establish Distancing
You have options when someone says anything negative about you. Choosing to take offense is one of these decisions that matters the most.
The stoic philosopher Epictetus stated thus on the matter, “If someone in the street were entrusted with your body, you would be furious. Yet you entrust your mind to anyone around who happens to insult you and allow it to be troubled and confused. Aren’t you ashamed of that?”[1]
To put it another way, avoid the trap of letting other people’s viewpoints dictate how you feel and think. You become aware of the absurdity of allowing other people’s comments to dictate how you feel and realize that the relevance of someone else’s ideas about you is entirely dependent on you.
By putting distance between what is stated and your sense of value, this insight can help you avoid the attention economy and cancel culture, two traps of modern living.
Allow Life to Teach You
It is incredibly empowering to decide that you will learn from every encounter you have. It’s not necessary to think highly of someone or even agree with them. What matters is that everything you experience in life can teach you something.
When you receive criticism, it’s a wonderful chance. You now have the opportunity to quickly review what was said to determine if there is anything helpful there, as you have already made the decision to maintain space and not allow words to hurt you. If it is feasible, you are prepared to grow and learn, turning the meeting from a loss into a victory.
Accept The Process
A little humility may go a long way sometimes. Accepting that we’re all work in progress makes receiving criticism less painful. Rather than allowing the comment to make you feel small or ashamed, consider how it could lead to progress. Since stagnation is frequently the result of stunted growth, we should welcome the process and seize the chance to break free and advance.
Criticism Can Encourage Originality
Occasionally, being told what went wrong with something you did might inspire creativity. When someone points out problems with a plan you’ve presented or gaps in a tale you’ve written, for instance, it can make new ideas visible to you that were previously hidden. This enlarged perspective is a component of the idea that “more minds are better than one” in collaboration.
There’s a sweet spot in criticism, according to Harvard Business Review, where you acknowledge the shortcomings of something without completely discarding it. They say “yes, but, and” in reference to this process. In this case, the issue is addressed with a suggested suggestion in the “yes, but” section, and various remedies are presented in the “and” section.[2]
When a discussion is approached in this manner, the critique turns into a useful tool for coming up with original ideas without discounting the original speaker. As in many interactions, more complete communication and better results result from being considerate of others’ feelings and viewpoints while offering constructive feedback.
Last Words
Even when the critic harbors dubious motives, criticism isn’t always negative. We will always take something away from an interaction when we decide to evaluate someone’s comments, look for their practical value, and reject taking them personally. In addition to avoiding possible suffering, the freedom from relinquishing the feeling of insult opens the door to significant personal progress.
When constructive criticism is shared among polite people, its advantages are increased. In a perfect world, you would be free from criticism and motivated to improve your concepts and abilities. Being in good company is also another effective strategy to turn criticism to your advantage.
References:
- Salomon, Albert, editor. The Enchiridion. Translated by Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Bobbs-Merrill, 1955. Accessed 19 October 2022.
- “Why Criticism Is Good for Creativity.” Harvard Business Review, 16 July 2019, https://hbr.org/2019/07/why-criticism-is-good-for-creativity. Accessed 19 October 2022.
