All World
Gayatri Pariwar

Constructive Criticism is Equivalent to Medicine

Medicine when taken in appropriate doses is effective in curing the disease. Similarly, constructive criticism motivates us to analyze our mistakes, protects us from arrogance and encourages us to move onto the righteous path. We usually crave for appreciation and honour. No one wants to be condemned, ignored or offended. But, there are times in life, when we have to face it and then it makes us miserable, angry and negatively inclined towards the critics.

On the contrary, if taken in a positive manner, even they could prove beneficial and become the agents of our upliftment. By perceiving criticism as means of introspection, our life attains the brilliance like that of an ascetic. Therefore, instead of running away from the circumstances, it would be far better to face them prudently. We should, thus consider criticism as an inspiration for incorporating those virtues in our lifestyle, which are essential for the development of our personality.

It is true that the person gets demotivated on being criticized. Yet, it is a medium through which he could not only develop a fresh and constructive perspective towards life, but could also move ahead by taking a balanced approach even during adverse circumstances. Criticism gives the person an opportunity for self- analysis and revaluation.  The more difficult the situation, the tougher the problem, the deeper the wound, the greater is the prospect of self- analysis and revaluation.

The small mistakes we make in our life could put us into problems and difficulties. The events which we considered insignificant
and did not pay much attention to, could sometime show their relevance and provide us an opportunity to rethink and introspect.
This opportunity sometimes comes before us as criticism.

Constructive criticism prevents us from straying away from our path, inspires us to rethink about our faults and provides us an opportunity to rectify our mistakes. It helps us in perceiving the reflection of truth; otherwise the charm of appreciation could take us into such an intoxicated state in which we cannot see the truth. In that case, we would see only that which is being expressed in words of appreciation. Flattery and abundance of appreciation takes us away from the reality, while criticism brings us closer to it. Appreciation blindfolds us, while criticism provides us an opportunity to open our eyes and view the reality.

Appreciation and honour makes a person arrogant and he may be deviated from the righteous path; while, criticism can help in bringing a deviated person back on track. Thus, opposition, criticism and insult are like the bitter medicines which are not easy to gulp and facing them appears to be a cause of affliction. But, they can also have a positive impact on life, provided we carry out self-analysis and revaluation.

However, sometimes denigration is done only to insult the person. Such sort of criticism should be ignored and one should not pay much attention to it. So, first of all, the person should evaluate that whatever is being said about him is true and to what extent. The method of this evaluation has been suggested by Neil Gaiman “Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.”

We find all sorts of people in the world. They may be our friends or foes. Some people are happy on our success, while others could rejoice in our failures. Therefore, the reaction of both types of people is quite different on our failure and success. Constant criticism and constant appreciation both prevent us from moving forward. Excessive appreciation increases arrogance while, excessive criticism takes us into depression. True appreciation acts as an encouragement and motivates us. While, genuine criticism prevents us from deviating and shows us the correct path.

If we have to move forward in life, then we have to accept both of them. A very smooth surface is quite slippery. So, a little roughness is essential for walking. Similarly, abundance of appreciation could make one slip on the path of life. Genuine appreciation helps us in moving forward and legitimate criticism protects and refines us. Therefore, we should use both of them for self analysis and move forward on the path of progress. We should always remember Dale Carnegie’s suggestion in this regard - “Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.”