Criticism is something that can be easily avoided without saying anything, doing nothing and being nobody. This was categorically expressed by Aristotle in his ancient times. That is, criticism, it's like politics - if you do not criticize yourself, then somebody will criticize you. Every day people come across an expression of feelings and an evaluation of the result not only of their actions.
Criticism - what is it?
Often you can hear - "I do not take criticism in my address" or "this critic praised the film with approval." And many other phrases in which the word critic comes from the ancient Greek language. Kritikos from the Greeks meant "art to disassemble". Criticism is:
- Making judgments about the merits of something.
- Censure, error search.
- The art of analyzing and evaluating artistic work.
Who is a critic?
A critic is not only a person who judges and evaluates, it is also a specialty. A professional critic analyzes works of art:
- literary;
- musical;
- theatrical;
- architectural;
- cinematographic.
For him to criticize this weigh all aspects - to consider ways of transferring material, to assess the degree to which the author managed to achieve his goal, whether the selected funds are justified. A good critic owns a subject that he parses. The well-known cultural critic was the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. He wrote critical essays on religion, morality, contemporary art and science.
Criticism - Psychology
Criticism in psychology is a matter of great interest. Psychology examines the cognitive and emotional effects of criticism. Psychologists are interested in:
- Intentions that people have for criticism.
- The influence that criticism has on people.
- How do people react to criticism and how do they cope with it.
- Forms of criticism.
- Denial of criticism.
For psychologists, the critic is a form of ego protection. They found that people who are inclined to constantly evaluate others were often criticized in their childhoods, when this is most painful. Children under the age of seven in the phrase "you are a good boy, but this is bad behavior" see only the second part. Any criticism, even very mild, means for the child that he is bad and unworthy.
Is criticism good or bad?
Criticism is good if you have a positive attitude towards it. This is an important life skill. Everyone is criticized, and sometimes - professional. Sometimes it is difficult to accept, but it all depends on the reaction. You can use criticism:
- in a positive way, which leads to improvement;
- negative, which reduces self-esteem and causes stress, anger or even aggression.
What kind of criticism is there?
There are many varieties of criticism. They differ in terms of use, the way they are presented and perceived, and the goals they pursue. Criticism happens:
- Aesthetic . About beauty and ugliness, taste and bad taste, style and fashion, sense and quality of the work.
- Logical . On an idea, argument, action or situation that does not have rational meaning.
- Actual . On the lack of sufficient evidence.
- Positive . On positive but ignored aspects. Often people see only the negative side of something, so there is a need to highlight the positive. Often used for self-defense and justification.
- Negative . About what is wrong and meaningless. It expresses disapproval, disagreement and emphasizes shortcomings. Often interpreted as an attack.
- Practical . On the useful effect.
- Theoretical . On the meaning of the ideas on which practice is based.
There are many kinds of criticism: it is an integral part of practically all spheres of human life. But the most famous two types are constructive and destructive criticism. Indeed, no matter how many variants of criticism did not exist, they can all be divided into these two "camps". The difference between constructive and destructive criticism lies in the way the judgment is presented.
Constructive criticism
Constructive criticism is designed to identify errors and help that, where and how to improve. It should be considered as useful feedback. When criticism is constructive, it is usually easier to accept, even if it offends a little. It is important to remember that it can be used to your advantage. Therefore, letting go of criticism in someone's address, it is worth considering what benefits it will bring. Rules for constructive criticism:
- Follow the method of "sandwich": first emphasis on strengths, then - shortcomings, and in the end - a repeat of benefits and possible positive results after elimination of cons.
- Focus on the situation, not the person's personality .
- Specify the feedback.
- Give advice on how to do better.
- Avoid sarcasm.
Destructive criticism
Destructive criticism touches pride and negatively affects self-esteem, deprives confidence. Destructive criticism is sometimes simply the thoughtless action of another person, but it can also be intentionally evil, and in some cases lead to anger and aggression. Types of destructive criticism:
- Bias . The critic does not admit that he can make mistakes.
- The Nebula . Evaluation is given without specificity.
- Inappropriateness . The arguments are irrelevant.
- Disrespect . Expressing judgments in a rough manner.
- Hollowness . Without examples and justifications.
- Plentitude . Non-acceptance of alternative points of view.
How to criticize correctly?
There are two types of critical behavior:
- A person objectively weighs the pros and cons, then makes a conclusion.
- The critic gives judgments based on emotions.
The latter is often associated with cruelty. Criticism in this case stems from an inner feeling of dissatisfaction and a continuous effort to resist it. A person inclined to "emotionally" criticize, tries to increase self-esteem by denying the value of another person. Such criticism is based on arrogance and is the "killer" of the relationship.
The golden rule, which psychologists recommend to adhere to - "Respect the person. Focus the criticism on the behavior that needs to be changed - on what people do and say really . " In any case, no matter what criticism is overtaken, it must be remembered that it can be extremely useful if you remember:
- Criticism is a form of communication. Accepting criticism, you receive a response, and with it the opportunity to improve for the better.
- Feedback helps you become better. If you always think that you are right, without getting feedback from anyone, how do you know that it is really so?
- Correct criticism gives an advantage. Especially it concerns the professional sphere, if the client can tell what ideal product or service he needs.
- It is necessary to respond to criticism correctly - the language is very important. It is better not to argue.
- Do not take criticism, even seemingly extremely unfair, close to the heart.