Right Vs. Wrong: Building People UP, Rather Than Tearing Them DOWN!

I realize it might not be a very kind thing to say, but some people really come across as if "criticizing" is a sport or a hobby for them.

No matter what is being said or done, they seem able to look at the situation, find the one thing wrong with it and make a big deal out of that while totally overlooking the good in the situation.

“Let go of negative people. They only show up to share complaints, problems, disastrous stories, fear, and judgment on others. If somebody is looking for a bin to throw all their trash into, make sure it’s not in your mind.”
— Dalai Lama

What I am talking about here is quite different from actual constructive criticism; here were are talking about so-called hair splitting and nitpicking simply for the purpose of making someone feel "less than," in some way.

I have never liked being around people who make you wonder whether they are about to find some way to tear you down.

I can't imagine any of us do!

I'm fairly familiar with how it feels, simply from having grown up with parents you might describe as "fault finders." It's tough when the good is overlooked, purely so criticism of something — little or large — can be brought to the forefront.

During my brief years of working in the IT industry, I had the fortune of having a 1st line manager who was very oriented towards encouraging people by building them up, primarily by always appreciating their work, and not taking tasks that perhaps were considered pretty routine for granted.

I learned a lot about gratitude from him, and along with that I also learned that people generally respond more favorably to being encouraged for their good works, rather than being criticized for the times they mess up. Needless to say, his workgroups always were among the top performers in our company division.

Which is not to say that he was easy or permissive. We all worked our butts off! But the general office atmosphere was very positive, which I learned was somewhat of a rarity in that industry.

Ever since then, I have remained a strong believer in focusing on the positive, and simply dealing with and solving the negative, rather than endlessly criticizing it!

Thanks for reading, and have a great Friday!

How about YOU? Do you know any people who always seem to point to the shortcomings of others? How do you deal with it? Or do you not mind? Do leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — NOT A CROSSPOST!!!)
Created at 20211007 23:12 PDT
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