“You could have done better,” “Who does that?”, “I would have done it differently,” and similar remarks everyone hears sooner or later. Pupils often hear similar complaints. Students pay for paper writing and after that hear comments about their homework from teachers. Even parents voice their dissatisfaction to their children when helping them with their homework, for example. We often hear this advice from outsiders throughout our lives. But should we listen to such “advice” or is it better to devote time to something more productive?
So, other people’s opinions. Renowned coaches, psychologists and other experts advise not to pay attention to other people’s opinions, to think with your own head and be guided by your own values.
For example, the famous French writer Andre Morua said: “You should not be guided by public opinion. It is not a beacon, but wandering lights.”
Constructive
So, you have been engaged in your task. It took a lot of time and effort. You were sure you couldn’t do better. But after implementation, your colleague notices some rough edges and flaws. How to respond?
Immediately determine for yourself how critical deficiencies are, whether they can be corrected, how and at what cost.
If you do not consider the remark critical in principle, and 100% sure that there is no error and there is nothing to fix, leave the right to ignore criticism.
If you agree with the fact that an error was made, you will have to correct it. First, thank your colleague, invite him to discuss solutions, if he has any ideas, and take it upon yourself to redo it.
Important: Draw conclusions from the situation, so it won’t happen again in the future. If the competence of the colleague who noticed the mistake allows you to ask for his help in the future, do so.
In general, constructive criticism is the engine of personal progress and efficiency.
Destructive
Now let’s talk more about opinion for opinion’s sake.
Finding flaws in someone else’s work is just a pastime option for some. Their criticism does not carry anything important, critical, or principled. But such people believe in their opinion.
The main method of combating this phenomenon can be described in the rule “if you criticize, propose.
If there is no suggestion behind the criticism, you can ignore such suggestions altogether. Listen, nod, and forget.
No need to waste energy, energy, and time on something that will bring nothing but a bad mood and doubts about your own professionalism. Do you know what the English thinker Gilbert Chesterton said on this subject?
“If you are told that an object is too small or too large, too red or too green, too bad in one sense and just as bad in the other, know this: there is nothing better than that object!”
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