“只要什么都不说,什么都不做,什么都不是,就能轻易避免批评。”——亚里士多德
一天结束时,当我感到筋疲力尽时,很多时候这与我所做的一切事情都无关。
这并非身兼多职和多个项目造成的后果。也不是我的身体在惩罚我,因为我之前一段时间缺乏运动,现在才开始跑步。甚至也不是睡眠不足的问题。
当我精疲力竭时,你肯定能想象到我为了赢得每个人的认可而竭尽全力。我执着于别人对我的看法,对收到的反馈赋予臆测的、通常并不准确的意义,并且沉浸在对批评及其价值的负面思考中。
我努力减少这类行为——而且大部分情况下都取得了成功——但不得不承认,这并不容易。
我记得大学时上暑期表演课,当时我因为过于防备而让周围的人感到不自在。有一次,老师在全班同学面前给我表演完一场戏的反馈。她每说一句话,我都要反驳一番。
经过几分钟的唇枪舌战,我的一位同伴竟然说:“别说了,你这样只会让自己难堪。”
现在回想起来,我应该对自己宽容一些。身处聚光灯下,人很容易变得脆弱,而且那位学生的反应确实有些苛刻。但我知道我需要听到这些话。因为我极度害怕被评判,所以我把所有人的评价都当成了谴责。
我意识到,批评并不总是出于好意,而且语气也不一定温和。我们收到的很多反馈都是主动提供的,而且并非全部来自老师——或许全部都是。
我们无法控制别人对我们说什么,也无法控制他们是否会赞同或形成观点并分享这些观点。但我们可以控制我们如何理解、回应和从中学习,以及何时放下这些言论并继续前行。
如果你最近难以应对批评,记住以下几点或许会有帮助:
批评的好处:
个人成长
1. 在批评中寻找真理的种子能培养谦逊之心。诚实地审视自己和自己的缺点并不容易,但只有愿意尝试才能成长。
2. 从批评中学习能让你进步。几乎每一次批评都能为你提供工具,帮助你更有效地创造你所憧憬的未来。
3. 批评能让你接触到新的视角和新想法,而这些可能是你之前没有考虑过的。每当有人挑战你时,他们都在帮助你拓展思维。
4. 批评者给了你练习积极倾听的机会。这意味着你要克制住自己在脑海中分析、计划反驳的冲动,而是认真倾听对方所说的话。
5. 当你遇到严厉的批评者时, 你有机会练习宽恕。我们大多数人都会承受压力和挫败感,并且有时会在无意中将这些情绪转移到错误的地方。
情感益处
6. 学会如何忍受最初情绪反应带来的不适感,而不是立即采取行动或进行报复,这很有帮助。我们常常想要用自己的感受来做点什么——但这通常不是个好主意!
7. 批评能让你有机会培养解决问题的能力,但当你感到敏感、自我批评或对批评者感到恼火时,这并不总是容易的。
8. 接受触及痛点的批评有助于你探索未解决的问题。也许你对自己的智力很敏感,是因为你一直耿耿于怀多年前别人对你说的话——你需要放下这些话。
9. 解读他人的反馈是一个进行理性思考的机会——有时,尽管批评的语气是负面的,但它却非常有用。
10. 批评鼓励你质疑你的本能联想和感受;赞扬是好的,批评是坏的。如果我们能改变自己看待事物的方式,不再那么非黑即白,那么我们的潜力将是无限的!
改善人际关系
11. 批评提供了一个选择和平而非冲突的机会。很多时候,当我们受到批评时,本能反应是反击,从而制造不必要的冲突。我们身边的人通常都想帮助我们,而不是评判我们。
12. 善于接受批评能帮助你减少执念,不再那么在意自己是否正确。没有什么比自负更能封闭开放的心态——这不利于个人成长,也会损害人际关系。
13. 批评者给了你一个机会,让你挑战自己讨好他人的倾向。建立在不断寻求认可基础上的关系会让每个人都感到疲惫不堪。顺其自然,让他们自由思考——反正他们最终都会这么做——会让你感到轻松自在。
14. 批评让你有机会教会别人如何对待你。如果有人批评的方式不好,你可以借此机会告诉他们:“我认为你说的有些观点很有道理,但如果你不提高音量,我会更容易接受。”
15. 有些批评会让你明白不要为小事烦恼。从长远来看,你男朋友觉得你把碗碟放错位置其实无关紧要。
时间效率
16. 你花在思考别人说过的话上的时间越多,你用来做这件事的时间就越少。
17. 如果你在接受批评后改进自己的工作方式,这将在未来节省时间和精力。从这个角度来看——批评可以节省时间——你很难不感激它!
18. 培养放下对被批评的感受和想法的能力,可以帮助你在生活的其他方面也学会放下。放下担忧、后悔、压力、恐惧,甚至放下积极的情绪,都能帮助你扎根于当下。正念永远是最有效利用时间的方式。
19. 批评会强化个人空间的重要性。花十分钟时间梳理自己的情绪,比如写日记,可以确保你做出恰当的回应。而第一次就做出恰当的回应,就能避免一条批评意见占据你一整天的心情。
20. 在某些情况下,批评可以教会你如何与人相处,例如,当对方态度消极或充满敌意时。了解这一点可以为你节省未来的大量时间和精力。
自信
21. 要想在人生中成就一番大事业,学会接受毫无建设性的批评——即不带任何建设性的反馈——而不丧失自信至关重要。你的作品越受关注,你面临的批评也就越多。
22. 当有人批评你时,它其实暴露了你自身的不安全感。如果你内心深处也认为自己懒惰,那就应该探究其根源。你为什么会这么想?你又能做些什么来改变这种想法呢?
23. 即使你感觉信心不足,也要学会从批评中走出来,这样才能确保没有哪一条评论会阻碍你追逐梦想。想想看,这就好比去芜存菁;取其精华,去其糟粕,继续前行!
24. 当别人对你做出严厉评价时,你就有机会审视自己的内心对话。研究表明,我们高达80%的想法都是消极的。抓住这个机会,审视并改变你的思维模式,以免耗尽精力,自我破坏!
25. 善于接受反馈能让你明白,有缺点是正常的——不完美是人之常情。如果你能坦然承认自己的弱点并努力改正,而不是因此而自责,你将会体验到更多的快乐、平和、享受和成功。
我们每个人都有不完美之处,而其他人有时可能会注意到这一点。我们甚至可能在彼此身上也注意到这一点。
接受这一点后,我感觉如释重负。

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
SHARE YOUR REFLECTION
27 PAST RESPONSES
Really good article. I love the idea of sitting uncomfortably with the criticism.
I know from my own experience that when people criticize, it is more about their own experience than it is about you. We usually notice what we know to be true of ourselves, whether we love or hate that about ourselves.
The one thing I have learned to do when others criticize is to look for the truth in their perspective. I always remember that some people's perspective of me is not reality, just their perception. I also know that some people are wired to find fault in everything. The important thing is to take the golden nugget, learn the lesson and move on.
I also learned a while back not to let it bother me for long. Criticism has a way of becoming internal self talk if you let it. Sometimes, it is not even a bad critique, we just have to look at it without any bias.
really an useful one!!!!
Thank u soo much as tis ll help me a lot in my life.
years ago, in midlife, I fulfilled an early dream of working in theatre where I instantly learned about the value and importance of feedback and criticism. Without it, the director would simply be unable to create the vision s/he has in mind. Fragile egos will crumble easily in such an environment, but it turned me into a "grown up" inspite of myself.
Years ago, I made a midlife decision to fulfill an early dream of acting in theatre. There I learned instantly all about criticism and feedback. Every rehearsal was filled with it. It taught me not to take things personally, that there was a bigger picture than my own tiny sliver of perspective on life. I wasn't aiming for Broadway, but the lessons I learned about taking criticism have enriched me beyond measure. These days, I call the ability to give and receive criticism, the same as being "grown up". Having to confront people whose ego is fragile can be a challenge, and finding a loving and gentle way to convey important information can be tricky. If a message is unwelcome, the messenger tends to get shot, as I've learned. So, deliver and receive as gently as possible, but deliver anyway.
I never knew there were so many good reasons to embrace criticism. Oh how I wish I knew all this when I was young so that I could take it in and grow as opposed to using criticism to prove to myself something is wrong with me. Wonderful list and a must share. Thank you.
Very good to see the positive in what at first seems like a negative. It is similar to what I'm trying to say at oopsortunity.com
good facts...
Great lessons. I really like this.
I do receive criticism from my close friend and even the people meeting me for the first time
So relevant to my life right now. I see so many lessons I can apply here. Thank you!
I'm not sure I agree with the statement made in #24. I'll admit I have my fair share of negative thought (especially with all I've been going through lately), but I wouldn't say its anywhere close to 80%.
What do you think?
I REALLY needed to hear this today. Thank you for the blessings!
Perfect article, gives me strength. I am in a situation which involves procurement and being in a multicultural environment, the only female black in a managerial position. Some see as if they can do a better job than me so i have had to have patience and endure some back stabbing criticism.
I really gratefull for such advice and inspirational works I intend to apply the above whenever I am critised in Life. Keep motivating people of this world. Thank You So Much and May The Mercyful Lord Reward You Abdantly
Thanks for this great insightful article.
It is indeed a splendid idea for those who are unable to break away with criticism. I hope these 25 reasons can help me to tackle my daily life. Excellence.... what a beautiful Sunday to read.
This article was incredibly meaningful to me, in a number of ways!
Meaningful, useful and a joy to read -thankyou
Julie Foster
Teacher
Thanks for this article. I need this today and every day.
outstandingly spectacular on a sensationally sedulous level I am with gratitude. As an addictions councelor for the youth and adults as well I have evolved into a suicide prevention worker I have learned that critisism allowed me to self critisize and pick up where I went wrong so when I tried it again I took a different approach. It enhanced my relationship with failure and allowed me to not fear failure but embrace and learn from failure. In order for me to be the change I acknowledged it, learned about it, gain knowledge about it, eccepted it and finally embraced it and now I am happy for happyness was not the goal happyness led me to my goal.
As a former long-term class-room teacher, coach and sports official I had many opportunities to practice the art of criticism , not always as successfully as I had hoped. One day , like this message , another famous Greek philosopher's view, " The unexamined life is not worth living " .........led me to look further and to come to learn that the root of this word/idea is in fact Greek ....CRITIKOS .....and among its many connotations is the concept of caring , enough to point out faults and, most important, offer to point out ways to improve on one's actions/skills/. Later in my career as a drama teacher these views were invaluable assets in the evaluation process by myself and peers. The habitual " AND ???" at the conclusion of each person's critique become almost a ritual uttered by many and usually leading to very helpful and rewarding ideas. We not only learn by doing but by doing better !
I absolutely loved this article. I am an instructor and trainer and often times have to evaluate others. As the leader of the team I am often the one who has to address hygiene, performance and behaviour issues and criticising others is not easy as you have to be conscious of their feelings and how they may receive what is constructive. However, I have learned over the years to be considerate of other's feelings and put myself in their shoes. I have also learned to take criticism positively as it too helps me to grow and improve myself which in turn means I can critique without being harsh or unkind. The greatest satisfaction is seeing how a person changes themselves or work on the areas that need improvement. I welcome this and more articles like these. Thank you
I received criticism yesterday from a hugh ego who talked about creating a safe place for people while trampling all over me in front of others. This article is perfect for me to read today. Thank you
This is a very positive article on a sometimes very touchy subject. It is very interesting & inspiring. When seen through the eyes of this article, criticism is no longer something to fear but rather a very important 'growing' tool. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this article. It really gave me a lot to think about regarding criticism. It has always been hard for me to process criticisms, often internalizing them and you've given me some insight into how to use criticism in a positive way.
Wow. That's profound. Thanks, Lori. I appreciate you taking the time to even consider five ways to benefit, let alone 25!
Many thanks for - something I need today! all the best