This is a post I have been waiting to write. Here I am trying to understand the effects of criticism on our thought process.
If we pay a little more attention to what actually criticism can do; we may be surprised…. “Criticism” more often than not triggers negative emotions in us. It is most important to note that people who are “doers” are subjected to scrutiny and the resultant reaction is either an appreciation or a criticism.
I have been lucky that most of the reactions I have received for the brief write ups have been very positive, I had posted a blog on the mild reactions of my senior friend which was hypothetically exaggerated by me to a certain extent to give the whole write up a comic touch.
Nevertheless the views projected by senior friend about my write up were more an experimentation of how it would feel if I was criticised so bluntly as I had projected in my write-up .
It is all about the point of view, my senior friend thought it better to express his point of view that “there were some areas in my writing that he would like to see a change”… what he did was as simple as…..either agree or agree to disagree ……
Being human it is obvious that such kind of criticism is going to affect us in some way or the other. If we do not deal with criticism in the right way it may lead to a thought process which has a negative trait. My last blog was written highlighting the changes my friend expected in my write up. After I posted this hypothetical blog projecting the views expressed by my senior friend I received a private message from my class mate on facebook and it read as follows.
"Hey Jagdish ; we must also learn to take criticisms in our stride ( with a smile and our heads held high) just like the praise and applause we love to bask and revel in......you also mentioned that this criticism came from the same friend who earlier never made adverse remarks pertaining to your write ups; well!!just think about it....he was not necessarily drunk but a few pegs almost always makes one light hearted besides maybe whilst he was sober he may have not felt it right to voice his opinion or simply did not want to hurt you, hence he refrained from saying what he actually thought of your blogs>>> but it is also true..and you must be aware of it for sure,that after a few drinks a person almost always inevitably speaks out his mind and bares his soul ;so maybe he finally blurted out what he felt........yes one does feel horrid when one is criticised but one should always take it in the right spirit and introspec....today I too would like to say something with regard to your blogs......please do not take this as criticism... also pls do not obsess over what anyone says cause each one is entitled to his opinion.....i also feel you need to have more life and fun in your blogs......they are too staid and lacklustre and boring......
(I did like your blog about Mrs Singh our LAHS teacher ) you need to have that punch in your writing..........you need to be unique and not mediocre.... there is definitely nothing new in what you write.....one could write the same thing which lot of others do...but packaging is also very impt.....its like same old wine but in a new bottle every time,then things get really interesting.I am also a big time voracious reader and i try to read anything and everything i can get hold of, unfortunately i do not have as much time as i would like to devote to reading...and now cheer up!!!!!!!!...........and always remember..we are always learning something new every day....we remain students all are life..each day makes us a better person than the previous day...... at least that what i think..... ..the day we believe we know everything WE STOP GROWING..........
I would like to make a special mention of the sensitivity shown by class mate who has a heart more beautiful than she is because she took care to post these comments in a private message rather than posting on my wall which she otherwise thought would have embarrassed me ..... but I think this is some thing I am really proud of because only a true friend can tell me what she frankly thought of my writing.
Though this kind of criticism of my blogs did make me feel a little bit out of sorts but more importantly I have been on a introspecting mode to put it more bluntly……... I have been forced to think……. is it really important that my writing always gets acknowledged? or should I write on topics like my friend said nicely packaged i.e to play to the gallary….. it is something like…… give the readers what they want…. this kind of writing though very common among the new breed of writers who use filthy language… write some thing which I would not call responsible writing …. this is definitely not creativity…..The language itself leaves a lot to be desired…. Since my writing is not a commercial exercise I do not have to write some thing that does not go with my principals and ideologies…. believe me even if it was a commercial exercise I would not have to deviated even by whisker.
For me writing is not only a hobby it is all about bearing my soul for my readers to see feel and introspect…. Writing is all about a creative expression which cannot be manipulated…. creativity is the truth from within or a reflection of one’s own soul… Believe me before I start writing I really do not know what the outcome of the write up will be …. but sometimes when I read whatever I have written it really intrigues me and i start wondering whether this write up has been really written by me?????
I never take any credit for whatever I write because it is nothing to do with my skills rather this has something do with the divine connect which drives me to write whatever I do. Now when criticism comes into play I cannot take debits because there are no credits taken by me. The only thing that I have benefited from this message of my friend is that Now I know she is a true friend.
By : Blogger Jags
