Story of the Week:
“Criticism is a Double-Edged Sword”
Double-edged sword is a metaphor meaning something that has or can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences. Criticism fits this metaphor perfectly. Constructive criticism coming from a place of love and help can be very beneficial, but if it’s coming from a social media troll or a flippant comment of someone who isn’t qualified to make such judgements, it can be hurtful, imped one’s self-esteem, and stifle creativity.
We all know the feeling of putting our blood, sweat and tears into something, just to have one small comment tear it down. Psychologist and author, Adam Grant, says it best, “Criticizing is easy and fast. Creating is difficult and slow. The two hours you spent on a book or movie usually took two years to produce. Anyone can tear down someone else’s work. The true test of insight is whether you can help them improve it or build something of your own.” Being an artist, I can really relate to this statement. The process of putting out a song is very long and tedious. Many of my songs are written and recorded at least a year or longer before they are released out into the world. Then in just 3 quick minutes (or less), everyone has an opinion/critique.
I appreciate Adam Grant’s words and believe that should be the gage we hold ourselves to before we give our two cents. But there are others who have differing opinions.
2 schools of thought on criticism:
The first is “radical transparency” which is used by Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates, one of the most successful hedge funds ($140 billion in assets under management), Netflix (over 12,000 employees), and a few others. They encourage harsh feedback, meaning the only way to truly get better is to have those around you point out what you are doing wrong. They believe embarrassment, pain and ridicule are the only way to self-discovery of what is actually true and is the fastest path to becoming your best self.
Adam Grant, the psychologist and author I quoted above on criticism, did a great TED audio collective on criticism, where he interviewed Ray Dalio and others regarding “radical transparency”. It’s very intriguing! Listen HERE or click the video below.
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