learn to take criticism

...I am under a lot of pressure to take criticism well.
I have started the practical component of my Masters to become a speech and language pathologist – every session plan and progress note I write is marked and changes suggested. Every minute of my sessions is watched by my supervisor to help me with my in-clinic skills!
It’s a scary way to learn being scrutinized so carefully but will be well worth it.
We’ll see how I go!

My tactic of managing this has been avoiding this. If you never do any mistakes, no one can’t critizie you. And by being your own severest critic no one can ever say what you haven’t already said to your self.

smart huh? or not..

Someday someone will and then you’re so untrained for it that you break apart. I’ve tried, not worth the trouble.

Solution? Don’t listen if it doesn’t help you to be better. Takes a LOT of training though. I’m getting there, slowly.

I don’t think this was the problem. I think there were other underlying causes that were upsetting me and I turned it into anger which was the wrong way to go since it caused a lot of pain for us.

I didn’t think talking would help but sometimes it does… especially if the other person helps you snap out of it. If (s)he can somehow reassure you and help you think differently about the situation.

As for criticism, sometimes having someone scream at me works because afterward I might just break down and listen to advice—as horrible as that sounds.

I’m interpreting things the wrong way. They aren’t meant at all to offend. They are coming from a place of consideration but in the mental mind-set I’ve been in lately… I’ve been taking it in the worst way. :) Sigh So, the real problem is how I’m currently viewing the world…I’m in a rut and I can’t figure out how to push myself out of it.

I have been accused of being confrontationl and not taking criticism.

I couldn’t. If he had just stopped a minute earlier I might have managed to restrain myself. But no. I cried. I felt useless. I managed to get home, and then cried even more.

I’ve come no where with this goal. I’m just as weak as before. Apparently I’ve been doing everything right so far and it just took one setback and I am back to where I started.

I am so pathetic! It’s only human to feel a little bad after criticism, but why do I have to cry so much and feel so completely useless? And this time it was constructive criticism as well!

I don’t know what to do. I just can’t handle it. I try not to take it personally, but I do, every time. And even though I know the difference between good or bad critique and that it’s only meant to help me I still cry.

It was a long time since I felt like breaking apart because of criticism. But I can’t cross it off until I’ve had some kind of final test. When I’m able to take a huge amount with coolness.

I stepped out on a limb today and asked three people what they thought of my working outline for a new book. One found the topic and outline hysterically funny (female); one adopted a severely blank tone and said that I was trying to tell him how to do something that he may not want to do (male); and one wanted to see it fleshed out – a nice dodge (female). And now I’m searching for help in taking criticism – somewhere I’d heard that it’s important to choose your critics carefully. I think I agree.

Mrs Critique (as we can call her for now) arrived. She works like a tornado – fast and aggressive. It is hard to keep up with her, but I try my best. She is very concerned about details and corrects every single “mistake”.

I have kept my mood up; never let her get to me, just doing what she says is right. I have met her comments with a smile and “thank you, I will do so immediately”. At times I have actually appreciated her being so honest instead of thinking “oh, she does everything wrong” in her head and correcting the mistakes behind my back.

Then today something amazing happened. She asked me how long I had been working there. I said just two weeks. Then she said: Really? I think you do a great job.

There was an honesty in the way she said it, like she was really surprised that it was such a short time. My confidence peaked. If she can admit that I’m good, then it must be true :) Perhaps the way I handled the criticism is a part of it.

Apparently an extremely critical person has come home from vacation at work. I have been warned by several co-workers that she can be cold, angry and complains about everything you do and that I shouldn’t take it personal. Since she has worked there for ages there is not much to say in defence either.

I will take this as an opportunity to train my ability of knowing when the critique is constructive and ignore the rest.