Ways to Learn to Take Criticism in a Positive Way

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How to accept criticism positively (Photo: iStock)

There’s something inside of us that kicks in when someone makes a comment about us that we don’t like. If someone says we could improve the quality of our work or that we should dress in a more age-appropriate way, the first reaction is to be on guard.

It’s natural for humans to reject negative feedback and embrace positive feedback, because who wants to hear they suck at something? Certainly not me.

Although you can’t prevent it from happening, the best thing you can do is learn how to take it well. Here’s how:

Separate positive and negative reviews

The word critical is mostly related to negativity. It’s used when someone is intentionally looking for flaws, so we don’t usually think of it as something useful.

But, there is the opposite side of negative criticism, which is constructive criticism. It’s not about looking for mistakes here because it comes from a genuine place.

Some of the ways you can learn to make a difference are to build your self-confidence and trust your judgment more.

Don’t make it personal

If, for example, someone says you need to politely improve your hygiene, that doesn’t mean they’re attacking your character. That comment they made shouldn’t make you feel like a horrible person or a failure.

You should listen to what the problem is without letting it destroy your confidence. This is how you can maintain a positive attitude about it.

Resist the urge to react

It is often very tempting to retaliate when someone says something that irritates us. However, when you do this, it shows that you only care about responding and not paying attention to what is being said, even if it is useful information.

Reacting angrily or rudely can cause a situation that could have been peaceful to escalate into tragedy. It could even cost you your job or an important opportunity, so it’s a reaction you should avoid at all costs.

What you can do instead is deflect that initial resistance you feel in order to receive. Over time, it will be easier to overcome the need to handle it as an attack.

Think about the benefits

Constructive criticism can be a game-changer on your personal growth journey. Sometimes we have to be in such difficult situations to grow and improve.

Surely it would be better to get called out for something and learn rather than look for false positivity and get stuck.

Accept that we are all imperfect

Receiving criticism is never fun. It may seem like you’re the only one being nagged when in reality everyone has their own shortcomings and areas they need to work on.

Once you understand that no one can avoid being criticized, you become more comfortable receiving it. It’s a more positive attitude that will help you feel more relaxed the next time it happens. I can guarantee it will happen again at some point, so you might as well accept it.

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