“Beloved, we’re all censored. You must recognize the apparatuses that’s attempting to cut your throat and stab you in the back.“- Bishop, W. F. Houston, Jr.
Beloved, from the time we were young children and we colored outside the line there has always been someone pointing out where they think we went wrong. But I’ve learned that if I can recognize what kind of critic(s) that’s trying to throw me under the bus, throw shade or dig a ditch for me to fall in to destroy my self-worth, then I can respond or counter the criticism in a positive manner. The juvenile response of, “Oh, yeah, well so are you!!!” just doesn’t work anymore.
My 7 Types of Critics
The Uninformed Critic – is like the friend of family member that comes to your backyard barbecue that’s on his/her 18th beer telling you how to barbecue on a pellet barbecue pit using a stick burner or propane technic. They don’t recognize what they’re saying but thinks that if they look focused enough and loud someone will think they’re skillful and knowledgeable.
The Negative Critic – will usually tell a bold face lie first by saying something like, “I want to give you some constructive criticism. The negative critic points out your faults without any recommendations or explanations for development.
The Encouraging Critic – rarely, “if ever” use the word encouraging criticism while their talking to you about becoming improved, healthier, or how to recover. They’ll use words like test, idea, or inspire. An encouraging critic will make you feel better when you leave their presence. An encouraging critic will walk you around yourself to see the invisible part(s) you’ve missed or haven’t identified in such a way that you make the choice to become improved without any sense of shame for being defective.
The Malicious Critic – is someone who wants to hurt you purposely with criticism. Usually, the malicious critic will know your weaknesses and expose them with the deliberate intent to wound you in other words “through you under the bus”. Yet they often say they’re being positive.
The Virtual Critic – likes to compare you in a negative way to someone else or to them. They let you know that they would do it better than you because they think they’re better than you. Or they compare you to some luminary or celebrity who you really don’t even want to be like.
The Envious Critic – is very hard to spot because they’re so devious, no one will ever admit they’re envious of you. But they point out your faults not so much because you’re wrong, but because they’re very envious and are looking for ways to feel superior “bigger” to you or more than you. Their criticism is more about their insufficiency than it’s about your faults.
The Hopeless Critic – is never joyful, or never content with anything – especially with themselves, so they’ll criticize anything “everything” their misery manages to run into that day. Beloved, evade the hopeless critic like an epidemic.