When it comes to criticism there are two types, constructive criticism which is there to boost you and refine your abilities and skills and destructive criticism which is there for no other reason than to break you down and which serves no constructive purpose in your life.
How should you handle destructive criticism?
There are a few things in life which are unavoidable and receiving negative or destructive criticism is one of them, however as much as you might be aware that the criticism which you are receiving might be destructive, be sure to listen to it in any case and take whatever good you can out of it.
Destructive criticism is normally motivated by emotions such as envy, anger or self doubt, all of which are class 3 or 4 emotions which are not good for the person experiencing them, those around them or the greater good. However, you might want to inspect and analyze this type of criticism for any shreds of truth or hints as to where you can improve so as to become the best you can be.
Please do not understand me incorrectly, you should never take this type of criticism to heart or allow it to affect you negatively, rather take the time to hear what it is that the person is saying and see whether there is anything you can use to grow as a person, if there is not, then discard this criticism and allow it to flow as easily out of your life as it was allowed in, but be sure not to allow it to begin to throw you into a negative mindset.
Most of the time when people throw destructive criticism your way, you will find that their statements are not actually directed at what you are doing, but rather at you directly and these criticisms are based more on their own shortcomings rather than what you are doing wrong and are motivated by jealousy, ignorance and fear rather than what is in your own best interest.
This type of criticism will often come in the form of an attack on you personally and not on what you are doing, if this is the case, then nine times out of ten it is better to simply ignore this type of criticism as if you allow it to affect you, it will only be in a negative way.
What is constructive criticism?
Any form of criticism which has your best interests in mind can be considered to be constructive criticism. This form of criticism is meant to help you to become the best that you can be and is not motivated by negative influences as was the case with destructive criticism.
When you are able to see that the motivation of the person giving the criticism is actually motivated by what they feel could be in your own best interest, then it is often a good idea to actually listen to what it is which they are saying and to effectively draw out of their criticism that which you feel could be beneficial to you and what it is which you are trying to achieve.
Very often those around us will have different opinions on how we should go about achieving whatever it is which we are trying to do and if their criticism is given due to their genuine concern of your best interests, then you should really consider trying to extract what might be different but very helpful ideas out of what it is that they are telling you.
Say for instance someone in a superior position in your work environment offers you constructive criticism, don’t always feel that they are putting you down or trying to make you realize that they are better than you, rather take the time to listen to what it is that they are trying to tell you as they might just be trying to give you the ‘heads up’ so that you can avoid having to make the same mistakes which they have made in the past.
As I teach my Wealth Creators Mentorship Students, why try to reinvent the wheel if you are able to gain the knowledge from others as to how to do it so as to avoid having to make the same mistakes which they made before you. In the case of constructive criticism, rather take this advice as a stepping stone before you try to swim across a raging river, always be sure to be able to recognize this advice and accept it in the spirit in which it is being given.
Various types of constructive criticism
Being able to recognize constructive criticism is essential for you to be able to gain the value which it might have to offer. There are ways for you to be able to recognize this type of criticism so as to be able to make the most of it, here are a few examples.
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The compliment sandwich – In this scenario you will receive a compliment, followed by them giving you a suggestion as to how you could improve and this is followed by another compliment.
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By the way encouragement – In this situation the other party will encourage you by telling you that you that you are already doing a fine job so as to achieve your goals, but they will offer suggestions as to how you could possibly improve on whatever it is that you are already doing well.
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The ‘thank you’ criticism – If someone starts their criticism of your performance or work by saying thank you, then the information which is coupled to this is usually in your best interest. They realize and appreciate the way you are getting things done but might have a bit of insight as to how you could be improving on your already good performance. In this case it is often that the person believes in you and wants you to be the best that you can be that they offer their constructive criticism.
Far too often we allow our own pride and ego to get in the way of being able to accept and use constructive criticism. By allowing this to happen we often miss out on vital tips and hints which would be able to greatly assist us in our goal of being able to be the best that we can be.
If you know that certain criticism of you is fueled with malicious intent and is being given for no other reason than to do you harm, then discard it. On the other hand however it can be very beneficial to listen to constructive criticism and learn from it whatever you can without allowing your own self esteem or ego to diminish the lesson which you might have learned if you were simply willing to listen.
If one truly wants to become a Wealth Creator, then it is in your best interest to be able to distinguish between destructive and constructive criticism and to be able to apply the knowledge or advice which you receive through constructive criticism.