How to Learn From Criticism

Learn from criticism, they say. After all, if we learn from our mistakes, then we can become better human beings, right? If we are to accept criticism, then we must first be able to hear the things that we are criticizing about. We must also learn not to be angry with ourselves or others when we are criticized. And if we are able to do these, then we will have learned from the criticizer.


The criticism can be constructive or destructive. When it is destructive, it will only serve as a motivator to remove what is wrong from our environment. For example, if a teacher attacks his students for being poor students, then the teacher's actions are not helping his students develop a positive image of themselves. The problem will just get worse, because he will keep doing this sort of thing in the future. On the other hand, constructive criticism fosters a growth in our individual thinking and promotes growth. Thus, criticism becomes an important and even necessary part of life.

However, when we receive criticism, we must be careful not to use it as an excuse. Sometimes, receiving criticism can actually help us make changes that will improve our lives and make us a better person. For instance, when I was in high school, I learned to become better at sports. Because of what I learned from being criticized, I became a better athlete and a better person.

But sometimes we just want to be left alone, without any help. That is why we make all kinds of excuses for getting criticized. We say that we do not need to listen to anyone because we do not know how to listen. Or we say that we do not deserve to be criticized because someone else may have said something wrong. Such excuses do not solve anything; they only serve to justify our lack of willingness to listen.

When receiving criticism, the first thing we should do is to listen. Even if we think we are not hearing what we really want to hear, we must hear. Then, we should try to understand what is being said. If what is being said is really what you think it is, then accept it. And if it is not what you think it is, then learn to change the way you think about it. Learn to differentiate constructive criticism from mere criticism.

Also, when we receive criticism, we should remember that we should always look before we leap. In other words, we should take criticisms as a sign that we should develop our skills and become a better person. Instead of accepting criticism with a closed mind, a constructive way of looking at it, and a defensive posture, we should understand its importance and learn to open up to it. A positive attitude and an open mind are very powerful tools in improving ourselves.

If we want to remain calm while receiving criticism, we should remember that sometimes people have a hard time getting right or wrong with something they do. Sometimes, people just have an unfortunate knack of making excuses. As such, when someone makes a mistake or has an "off," we should stop questioning why they did it, or we should try to understand why they did it. Once we do that, we can then give the criticism proper attention. And this will allow us to stop making excuses.


Finally, it is important that we do not dwell on the things we don't like. If we keep dwelling on the things we don't like, we will become so negative and this will make it even harder for us to achieve success. Instead of dwelling on what we don't like, we should work on the aspects of our personality that we like. By focusing on positive aspects of our personality, we will be able to remain calm and collected, and we will also be able to achieve the things we want and desire in life.