There are other people who enjoy the thing that person criticised. They love it the way it is. So why change it just because that one critic said so? What makes them so special? They are a human being just like us. They eat, sleep, and will die oneday. Instead of caring what people think who are nasty to you and dont really give a DAMN about you, why not listen to the people who actually care and enjoy your work? It is common sense. There are TONS of movies that made millions of dollars and were VERY successful in marketing that critics said were horrible. If they were so horrible they wouldnt have made so much money now would they? And then critics put down people for what they like and dont like. Saying those other people have “bad taste” which is rude and very childish. Some people never grow up. There are many people who have no lives and live to just put other people down to build themselves up. Which is pathetic and again VERY childish. That is something bullies do on the playground to other children. May nasty critics PLEASE grow up.

I know there are some nice and proffesional ones out there, but these days there are so many immature brats who never grew up hogging the magazines and internet sites. They are making bad names for critics that have manners and just want to help improve work by giving advice.

Sorry for not doing a full post, I have been busy with traveling.

I hope you are open to participating I look forward to more posts!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12125926&sc=emaf

I recently had a post on the front page of Yahoo! Personals, and though it was one of the most popular articles of the day – not everyone felt the same way.

I got reemed! Apparently people hate me. But I love this because it shows that you’re truly riding the edge, and thinking outside the box.

Here’s to taking the criticism with a smile guys!!!

- Martin Reed

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

I have it attributed to Bill Gates, but I’m not sure it was him. Either way, when someone’s criticizing you, there’s an opportunity hidden somewhere in the situation.

Thanks for the great post.

Paul Hancox
http://www.InternetInfluenceMagic.com

(Sorry… I had to do it). Threadjacking is just one example response to criticism in a competitive arena. Why validate the criticism at all? Let the reader decide the verdict, and use the power of the pen to influence the reader, just-as-the-critic-did.

Avoid flame wars for sure, and I totally agree about shifting perspective and learning, but never forget you can gain directly as well from the conversation.

I think you need to decide if you will compete or not, and stay true to character. No matter what, people value consistency and dislike deception. You may want to be nice guy, but if you take that high road and play games behind the scenes, you will get called out for hypocrisy.

I’d like to suggest another reason criticism is valuable: it allows us to see ourselves through the eyes of others and it exposes our blind spots to ourselves. This can offer valuable insight into the self, which leads to greater self-improvement.

On the other hand, sometimes people are just trolls or they really have no idea what they’re talking about. Your post has some great points for handling these situations (and, of course, for “legit crit”, too!).

I agree with personal branding. It’s not about the criticism, it’s about how well you handle it. People will respect you if you know where you stand and what principles you hold close to your chest.

Personal branding isn’t about being liked by everyone. It’s about being clear about who you are, what you stand for and the work you want to attract.

1. As for that point I don’t have much to say.

2. I agree with you that on that you should “stick with the argument”. My whole thing with the happiness is that if you acknowledge their criticism and try and do something about it in many cases they will be happy because you did not brush them off.

3. Yes, I was trying express how you should try and avoid the same criticism in the future. Overall criticism is great and it should always be welcomed.

1. Trying to understand their points takes both self-reflection and a desire to evaluate your argument and theirs based on the relative merits. This is a good thing.

2. Benevolent criticism – that is, disagreeing with one’s argument rather than disagreeing for the sake of it – has nothing to do with making anyone happy, and neither does responding to the criticism. Stick to the argument. The goal is to advance understanding of the topic; happiness is not a factor. You can treat a dissenter with respect and courtesy – this should be standard – but in no way is your effort driven by trying to make them happy. If one is truly committed to advancing their discipline, happiness doesn’t factor in.

3. The attitude expressed in this point – that the most important thing about criticism is to learn how to avoid it – is harmful [and contradictory to your argument]. As someone who runs a polemical site, I depend on criticism to hone my arguments and expose the flaws within them. Criticism from readers has increased the value of my commentary in a way that’s almost immeasurable – I need it and so do the dissenters. That’s why we have these “conversations.” If you meant “prevent the same criticism in the future” to mean that it will help you refine your research methods and argumentation so you put forth better arguments, then I support that.

Dealing with jerks is a matter of perspective too. If you can please everyone, then you’re doing something wrong! (See Creating Passionate Users.)

The human brain is very poorly equipped for dealing with new information and opportunities. So just accept that there are people that are at different stages in their lives and move on. (Also make a note of this and write more about the subject — it’s a business model

Anyway, I agree fully. Taking criticism objectively is the best thing you can do for yourself and your blog!

-alexjc