Criticism is the practice of judging the merits and faults of something. Criticising or being criticised is something that we as humans have to deal with at least once in our lifetime. To criticise something doesn't mean you totally disagree or take side againts the subject in question, it only means you are pointing out the weakpoints. Criticism is similar to advices, but is more direct to the point and may cause offense to the receiver. However, that does not mean that criticism always end up in a fight. In fact, being a professional critique (someone who criticises in particular topics) is one of the most respectable job in creative industries such as filmmaking and publishing.
To err is human, to purr feline. In our daily lives, we all did something that invites criticism. Be it a simple slip-up in a group presentation, or over-indulgence of designer coffee (and bragging about it), one or more peers and/or strangers might have something to say about it. And guess what, you didn't like it. Thanks to the human pride and no thanks to internet celebrities spamming #hatersgonnahate on their social media posts, you relate to that and paint yourself as the victim and the critiques as "haters". This led to the usual Twitter drama and/or the occasional verbal fights face-to-face. Newsflash people,you are reacting very badly. It's not even a childish behavior, just toxic. "How then", you ask me, "do I react to haters?"
The first thing I need you to do is, take a deep breath and prepare yourself to resist the hardcoded knee-jerk reflex to defend yourself that have long been part of the human ego since Biblical times. Stop yourself from thinking, "I did nothing wrong", "They are just not happy with their lives" and other whiny, self-absorbed quips you learned from watching the Kardashians or the Paul brothers' vlogs. Once you have calmed yourself down, reread the "hate" comment and reflect on it. You see, the biggest flaw in humans are we cannot see our own flaws until someone else points it out for us. Criticism, no matter how painfully honest it is, is a constructive thing. Use it as an opportunity to improve yourself. Don't get angry or sad, evaluate the criticism first and I promise you, you earned yourself a 0% chance of drama and a happier life.
The next step is to re-evaluate yourself. Ask a close friend or family member, "What can I fix about myself?". Ask them to be honest. Once you've identified your problem. Plan a course-of-action. Did you swear too much? Get yourself a swear jar. Don't push yourself to change so drastically. Instead of stopping a bad habit altogether, start "punishing" yourself a bit for it. Reward and punishment is very basic psychology, but it can be very useful. After a few weeks, ask your peers if they notice anything different. Prepare to receive praises! If their responses are positive, congratulations! You improved yourself. Be consistent and now, you have learned from your mistakes. Make sure to never do it again and be ready to adapt. Say goodbye to haters and enjoy your life!!!
Thanks for reading! This article has been sitting in my laptop for a long time and I only had time to post it today, giving way for the last post(be sure to check it out here: https://steemit.com/life/@cikgumirzarazak/flight-of-the-phoenix). Be sure to upvote if you enjoyed! I am also planning to release new content on a daily basis so root for me!
