A love letter to criticism

 

Dear Criticism,

 

Just like that my summer has officially started. Another academic year is over and next year around this time I’ll hopefully be busy with the finishing touches for my bachelor’s degree. Officially starting summer means getting into a different routine, maybe seeing new places and for me this year it means that I have around six weeks left until I start my internship. Time really flies bye super-fast. How does this lead us to the topic of todays “love letter”, criticism you might think. It came to my attention that criticism, sometimes in a positive way and sometimes in a negative way, really accompanies us through every part of our life.

 

Aristotle apparently once said “There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” Thinking about like that, it is great that we have criticism in our life, because what would be life without it? Sometimes it is exactly what we need to stay humble. Just as it is with many things, the key is balance. Always keep in mind that you need both, the compliments and the criticism in life. Like many people always try to remind you, a flower needs both, the rain and the sun the grow.

 

Accepting and giving criticism is a whole skill on its own that definitely needs to be learned over time. You won’t always be able to do it perfectly and you will make mistake, but that happens with everything in life. It is a whole learning process, especially learning how to accept criticism well, yet also knowing what you are going to use and work on and what you’ll listen to but will let go afterwards. It might even take a lifetime to figure that one out.

 

Be gentle while giving criticism, it doesn’t mean that it has less effect, it might even have more effect. Criticism should be strong enough to let you grow, but gentle enough to not destroy you and your roots. I read somewhere that you can always be an encourager instead of a critic, which is something I actually really like as well. We have enough people in the world who are only judging others, it honestly kind of fits in the saying “be the change you want to see”. It’s cliché but true. You can offer criticism in a kind and unkind way; it is only up to you to decide which one you are going to use.

 

Those who criticize you in a bad and unkind way mostly are just unhappy with themselves. They use it as a pathetic way to make themselves feel better so you shouldn’t lower yourself to their level. Not all types of criticism are the same. For example, the world knows constructive criticism as well. This is criticism as well, but it contains empathy, which is not unimportant.

 

Criticism, it might hurt, it might hit hard and it can be equally hard to give as to receive. Life is a learning experience with all its ups and downs, reflecting on yourself and asking yourselves the “why’s” can be essential to safe you and the people you love and care about. Or at least it is essential to safe your and their sanity.

 

And if someone criticizes or corrects you in a respectable, kind and honest way and you still feel offend than I’m sorry to be the one to say this, but then it might be you who has an ego problem. Reflection is key.

 

In the words of Bob Dylan: “Don’t criticize what you can’t understand”.

 

All my love,

 

Anna