Lifeisallaboutfindingourrightpositioninlifeandsociety.Whenwearepresentedwithcriticismorpraise,itisalwayscrucialforustolearntoselectivelyacceptthemsothattheyarenotsostrayedawayfromourownperceptionsofwhowethinkweareandwhowewanttobeandthattheyaresomewhathelpfultoourfuturedevelopments.
Franklyspeaking,noonelikestobepannedbyothers,nottobementionharshlypannedrightinthehead.Thus,hereiswherethingsgettricky:itisinyournaturetodetestcriticismsbutthesmartthingtodoistoactuallyreallytakesometimetoconsiderthem.Hadpeoplegottenthewholepicturebeforemakingthecritique?Aretheybeingfair?Aretheytryingtogivesincereadvice?Oraretheyjustactingonself-servingmotivations?Afterthesequestionsarebeingseriouslythought,weareabletodeterminewhetherthesepiecesofcriticismareconstructiveornot.Receptthenotsopleasantyethelpfulonesandsimplydroptherest.
Ontheotherhand,whenwearemetwithapproval,doourlittlecheerbutalwayskeepinmindthatthere'salwaysspaceformoreprogress.Certainlywewon'twanttobeoverwhelmedwithprideandgetittoobstructourpathsofbecomingbetterandmorecapablepeople,dowe?Lettheoneswhomoderatelyacclaimyouboostyourconfidenceandcourageandhavetheonesthataremuchtooflatteringpassbyquickly.Andthenaperfectbalancewillbemaintained.
Inconclusion,accepttheconstructivecriticismsandrememberthatabitofapplausedoesn'tgetusanywhere.