Dealing with heavy criticism is difficult. We’re human. We like to judge others, we love to have an opinion, and we love it even more when we get an opportunity to share our opinion, judgements, and criticisms with others — no matter how positive or negative that opinion is.
Things change when we’re on the receiving end of that, though. Some of us will struggle to deal with criticism and overcome judgements, causing us to lose confidence in themselves. You’ll start to allow other people’s thoughts and opinions control your own life, which isn’t a healthy way for anyone to live.
The truth is, we will all encounter heavy criticism from time to time. It’s bound to happen and something we have to accept. In fact, we must learn to use that criticism as fuel to do better — be better. While their criticism might not always be right, it could still be used in a positive way to push your own agenda.
If you find it difficult to deal with this judgement, try asking yourself the following questions before feeling ready to move past it.
Who’s Criticizing Who?
The first step of dealing with heavy criticism is determining the source. It’s one thing if someone is directly criticizing you, but a completely other thing if you’re criticizing yourself based on someone else’s thoughts or opinions.
If you’re criticizing yourself, you’ll have to find the root of that criticism and change your own mindset. If someone else is criticizing you, it’s often best to ignore it and disengage with it. Adding fuel to the fire won’t help anyone’s cause.
Is It a Reflection of You or Them?
Criticism and judgement will often be presented in two main scenarios — either you deserve the criticism or the criticism is a result of someone else’s jealousy. Again, both scenarios will require different responses, but people will normally make the situation worse before making it better.
If you feel someone is just jealous of your own accomplishments or current status, this is another reason to disengage. If you feel it’s criticism you deserve, it’s time to accept that and figure out how you can better yourself.
It’s important to remember there’s always room for improvement. Any criticism can be taken constructively, though you might have to be the bigger person in some situations.
How Important Is Their Opinion?
How you respond to judgements and opinions will largely depend on how important that person’s thoughts mean to you. While you should never let anyone’s words offend you or affect your mindset, there will always be a reason someone says what they say.
By understanding those reasons, you can start to learn a little about yourself through how others perceive you. We have to learn to look at criticism constructively so we can effectively move past them. In the end, you’ll be a better person and you’ll indirectly prove those around you wrong.
We’ll all face criticism, but it’s how we respond that really matters. You can let it defeat you or let it better you — you’ll get to decide!