Anytime you attempt something great, you’ll run into critics. Great things challenge the norms and change situations. It’s natural you’ll receive some criticism. But not all criticism is bad. There are actually three types of critics you’ll run into. The key to responding appropriately to criticism is realizing what kind of critic you’re dealing with.
1. The Caring Critic
The caring critic is the one whose heart is in the right place. They don’t want to see you get hurt by trying something risky. The caring critic is usually trying to caution you, rather than keep you from attempting your goal. They want to point out all the potential dangers so you don’t walk into your endeavor blindly.
You’ll spot the caring critic by seeing what they criticize. If they’re focusing on elements of the plan and suggesting alternative elements, they aren’t trying to kill your dream. They actually want to see you succeed.
Listen to them. Ask them questions. They’ll be some of your greatest allies and provide you with unique perspectives.
2. The Threatened Critic
The threatened critic is the one who wants to see you fail or not try at all. This is the one who enjoys the status quo. Your risk-taking makes them feel like a failure for never having pursued their dream. They point out dangers and individual elements of your plan too. But they want you to abandon your plan rather than tweak it.
You don’t need to fear the threatened critic. In fact, if you let them be a challenge rather than a discouragement, proving them wrong can be the fuel you need to keep pursuing your dream.
3. The Fearful Critic
This is the most dangerous critic. They genuinely care about you and are afraid you will fail. The problem is, listening to them yields the same result as listening to the threatened critic. They will scare you from attempting anything great. They’ll point out all the potentials for failure and make failure seem probable. Though they care about you, they are not an ally for your dream. You need to guard yourself from them.
The biggest problem with the fearful critic, is that you are most likely the fearful critic. You will be your most vocal critic because of fear. You need to shut down the fearful critic. They have no business in great endeavors.
