Influence

Here’s a delicious quote uncle Steven shared with me:

“Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn — and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.”

Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People

These are all perfectly natural reactions to something that you wish to improve, however they aren’t great strategies for actually improving whatever it is.

When someone criticizes something you made, what’s the honest natural reaction? Really honest? It’s to become defensive, right? However correct you are, why would anyone else react differently?

One pane comic featuring a dude criticizing another dudes work

So if you want someone to become resentful and defensive, go ahead and criticize! Otherwise be mindful of this reaction inside yourself and consider choosing a more productive course of action.