Recognizing Constructive Criticism From Plain Old Criticism

It's one thing to know what you're talking about and give helpful insight, but it's another to wrap your insult in the guise of being helpful.

Criticism is a necessary evil; we all receive it and offer it, oftentimes unsolicited. However, there are two types.

One type corrects us, and the other one helps the critic. Unfortunately, many people don't know the difference between constructive criticism and plain old criticism.

Constructive feedback is an objective analysis to help someone improve their work or behavior without letting too much emotion get in the way of their feedback. It is the kind that helps you grow, learn, and improve.

 Constructive criticism comes from a place of wanting to see you do well.

Here are some examples of constructive criticism:

• "I noticed that you didn't include a bibliography in your paper. In the future, it would be better to include one so that your reader can find more information about the sources you used."

• "You seemed to be rushing through your presentation. Next time, try to slow down and make sure your audience is following you."

• "I think your argument would be stronger if you included data from X study."

Notice how each of these comments includes a specific suggestion for improvement. They don't just point out what went wrong; they offer concrete advice on how to do better next time.

Constructive criticism is insightful. You get specific input about what you did well, what is working and what could be improved, and ideas on how to fix the issues that have been pointed out.

Of course, constructive criticism can also be offered in a way that feels like an attack. For example.

• "You didn't include a bibliography in your paper, so I couldn't tell if you did any research at all."

• "You were rushing through your presentation, and it was really hard to follow."

• "Your argument would be stronger if you had more data."

In each of these cases, the same piece of constructive criticism is delivered in a way that is helpful but with a little less tact.

It all depends on the tone and delivery of the message. Nuance is the difference between a receptive ears and sounding like a jerk.

Constructive criticism is specific and objective. It's focused on solving problems and making improvements. It comes from a place of concern and a desire to help.

It's important to note that constructive criticism is not the same as positive feedback. Positive feedback is only about praising what someone has done well. It helps people feel good about themselves and their work.

Constructive criticism, on the other hand, is helpful feedback. It is about offering suggestions for improvement. It helps people learn and grow.

Both are important, but they serve different purposes.

_________

Plain old criticism, in contrast, is just an attack trying to disguised itself as feedback. It's not about helping you; it's about making the critic feel better about themselves. You can spot it a mile away.

Here are some examples of plain old criticism.

• "Your work is low quality because you didn't include a bibliography."

• "You lack the skill for public speaking; you are terrible at it."

• "Your lack of data to back up your claim shows just how weak your argument is. I, on the other hand, would have had all the relevant information in my presentation."

As you can see in the examples, plain old criticism is often nonspecific and doesn't offer any real solutions.

Plain old criticism is dismissive, condescending, and even belittling.

This type of criticism usually comes from a place of anger, jealousy, or resentment.

Plain old criticism is just meanness for the sake of being mean. It doesn't help anyone get better at anything. It just makes people feel bad about themselves without accomplishing anything useful.

Of course, you don't always have the luxury of knowing the intention behind the words. In that case, you have to go by how it makes you feel. 

If it makes you feel defensive or like you want to give up, then it's probably not constructive.

The easiest way to tell the difference is to ask yourself, "Does this feel like it's coming from a place of wanting to help me or hurt me?" 

If it feels like the latter, then it's probably plain old criticism.

Conversely, if it makes you feel challenged and motivated to do better, then it's probably constructive.

Constructive criticism is about the work, not the person. Plain old criticism is about the person, not the work.

If you find yourself on the receiving end of plain old criticism, don't take it to heart. It says more about the critic than it does about you.