Those who write things and display them for public reaction often get ... a reaction. Quite often, it's a negative reaction, too. I've noticed the phenomenon with my own blog postings. Those who comment most frequently are pretty consistently in a position of disagreement.
That is perhaps not surprising. When someone sees error abounding (and that is the reaction some have to my blog postings) there is a good reason to memorialize objections. Error, unrefuted, might proliferate. Someone might actually be persuaded by some of my erroneous thoughts.
I must say that I enjoy, virtually without exception, reading the comments made by those who have seen one of my blog postings, and who have taken the time to react to it. That definitely includes my appreciation for critical comments, as well as for the occasional "attaboy."
For those whose first recourse is always to the sharp tools of criticism, I do want to suggest that it can oftentimes be educational to consider other persons' thoughts, including those thoughts with which one disagrees, by setting aside the impulse to criticize, and to employ, instead, a more empathetic perspective.
That's just a suggestion.
I'm expecting to hear that I got it wrong!
Image Credit:
https://www.lifestyleupdated.com/2012/06/13/dealing-with-criticism/
Good post. For scientific skeptics like myself, the empathetic perspective is crucial. People who feel attacked are less likely to listen to criticism and to learn new things. Coming from an empathetic perspective helps ensure people feel more heard and less attacked.
ReplyDeleteThere's also the impartial or impersonal perspective, where the focus is on the claim being made, rather than the person making the claim.