Criticism
Criticism is part of life. No one is exempt. How you respond to criticism is thought to reveal your character and backbone. Having a thick skin is worn as your badge of courage. Some people can give criticism, as a sport. Others seem to never give any criticism at all.
With age, the value of constructive criticism or feedback that leads to improvement is appreciated but it is a hard, hard lesson to learn.
We are taught from a young age to have an opinion, make up our own mind, and be an individual. So, when someone chips away at the things we care about, it can engender a serious emotional response. It is much easier to do the slaying ourselves. However, when the commentary is about you or something you care about, you are sensitive to each and every syllable. They are burned into memory.
It is far greater to be thought of a failure than never to be considered at all. Being a subject of criticism at least lets you know that you had a shot, you had an audience. Be smart about how you internalize the feedback, be aware of your own critical self-talk and acknowledge that even in the harshest critique there is the underlying valuation- you were taken seriously.
in Angst!
Psychology Today
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