Accepting criticism

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At my last job, the main issue I had with myself is that I never took criticism (Nor compliments) very well at all.

If someone pointed out something was bad, I'd make excuses, deny the problem (Even if I was aware of it's existance) or try to pass blame ("The other guy did it like that! It's normal!"). Totally knee-jerk shit, if I ever stopped and listened to myself I thought I sounded like a jerk.

Then, if anyone said my work was grand, I'd jump right in telling them every single problem with it until they went away or lost their awe.

"That's a fucking awesome texture, man."
"Nah, I completly fucked it up. See here, on the sash? The leather pattern is going in completly the wrong direction. I dunno what the fuck I was thinking."
"Yeah... but... uh, the face texture looks perfect."
"Nah I fucked that up, too."

How the hell do you guys put up with it? I need to get this shit sorted out before I get another job and end up pissing someone off.

So, criticise me bitchez.

― PlayfulPuppy (playfulpuppy), Monday, 23 January 2006 15:38 (twenty years ago)

Sin of Pride. Theirs, Yours. That's it.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 23 January 2006 15:42 (twenty years ago)

Well, I think I'm relatively good at taking criticism from bosses (if not necessarily from my gf) so my best advice would be to just treat the criticism as an opportunity to improve your performance, part of the normal course of working, and not in any way a commentary on you as a person. Unless your boss is just a complete tosser in which case I recommend a voodoo doll.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Monday, 23 January 2006 15:44 (twenty years ago)

are we just supposed to throw random insults at you?

― okok, Monday, 23 January 2006 15:44 (twenty years ago)

― truck-patch pixel farmer (my crop froze in the field) (Rock Hardy), Monday, 23 January 2006 15:45 (twenty years ago)

I too, had trouble accepting praise. But now, if someone gives me praise, I just take a second, smile and say thank you. Nothing more needs to be done or said. So much easier than trying to convince others that you think you sick.

Accepting critisism is another story. I still have trouble with that. I try to think of any crits I get on any job as "constructive." In other words, they're not telling me I suck because they don't like me. Rather, they're explaining how what I've done doesn;t fit within the constructs of the assignment given. I try to take it as a learing opportunity despite the bruised ego. Then I just take a moment, smile, and say thank you.

This is all easier said than done, of course.

This also sounds like some deep-rooted shit. Maybe some therapy?

― bsj30 (bsj30), Monday, 23 January 2006 15:47 (twenty years ago)

I think it's quite common for people to react badly to other people's criticism but also be the first to rubbish their own work when others compliment it. It really depends whether the criticism is any good in itself - is it constructive or is it just 'this is shit' with no real explanations or reasoning? I try to welcome and encourage the former and reject the latter usually, but it seems a lot of people are afraid to criticise at all a lot of the time and I see that as a shame as it's surely a massive part of the improvement process.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Monday, 23 January 2006 15:49 (twenty years ago)

The number one rule for getting criticism at work is: Always Carry a Shiv.

― 'Curt' Russell (noodle vague), Monday, 23 January 2006 15:53 (twenty years ago)

"Shiv" is such a great word -- so much menace in four little letters!

― Laurel (Laurel), Monday, 23 January 2006 15:54 (twenty years ago)

i interpret any criticism whatsoever as the snivelling of jealous inferiors.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 23 January 2006 15:54 (twenty years ago)

I do normally improve from criticism, so that part seems okay.

It's just the reaction to it that needs a little more tact. I've gotta supress the urge to rubbish or deflect crits.

― PlayfulPuppy (playfulpuppy), Monday, 23 January 2006 15:56 (twenty years ago)

Tracer your last post SUCKED, and I'll tell you for why...

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Monday, 23 January 2006 15:57 (twenty years ago)

SHIV HIM TRACER, SHIV HIM NOW

― 'Curt' Russell (noodle vague), Monday, 23 January 2006 15:59 (twenty years ago)

Fuck a Shiv. Carry meat on the bone, if you can get THAT fucker to penetrate the skin no one will ever question your manliness ever again.

― PlayfulPuppy (playfulpuppy), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:00 (twenty years ago)

this is one of the many MANY things I'm bad at. I don't mind criticism at the work place, to a point, but when my artwork comes under fire then fuckadoodledoo the shit hits the fan and I'll probly stop painting for a year until i calm down

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:05 (twenty years ago)

I somehow tend to interpret any form of criticism, even constructive, as personal attack

― kingfish kuribo's shoe (kingfish 2.0), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:09 (twenty years ago)

i do that too

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:12 (twenty years ago)

Ste: Yeah that's the problem, art is my career. :\

― PlayfulPuppy (playfulpuppy), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:13 (twenty years ago)

Are you a disher or a taker?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:18 (twenty years ago)

that sounds dirty!

― Trying To Resonate Concrete (kate), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:39 (twenty years ago)

soemetimes theres these rofsesors that are always ridin ou ya know cuz our not looking at the board or you didnt bring books or somthing to class and they are all mad and giveng you criticism. but thats when you just gotta look out and zone out and like forget about how the world can be sucha hassle man. learn to relax and just chill there - like pick a spoit on the wall adn just lock your mind onto that so it wont gnet yo in troulbe or pain. just a tohght.

― mrbodymassagemachine (mrbodymassagemachine), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 06:42 (twenty years ago)

I'm like you on the accepting criticism front Pup - I'll always knee-jerk make some lame excuse ("the supplier stuffed up/this always happens/I didnt know how to do it") instead of just saying "yes sorry that was wrong, it wont happen again". ARGH. I really have to stop that.

You need to be better about not only accepting praise, but also selling your talents! You always knock yourself down with "I'm nowhere near as qualified/talented as X" or "they want people with degrees" when you know darn well you're better at what you do than half the peoeple you've ever worked with.

Learning to big oneself up is a skill though. Its hard to do it when it feels like a lie or a boast. I'm getting better at it but only because I realised that basically, all the pricks we all hate get the goods BECAUSE they do this shit well. We gots to be more like them wankers.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 25 January 2006 01:52 (twenty years ago)

Oh to anyone who is wondering, PlayfulPuppy's my other half, and I do believe this is his first ILE thread (he's been on ILG for a while though) - welcome, Nick! :D

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 25 January 2006 01:53 (twenty years ago)

Hello Playful Puppy!

The hidden thing that I now realize my other thread was about - dishers and takers - is that I think to be a good taker, you have to be able to dish as well, and vice versa.. people with brothers and sisters often get the dishing and the taking down pat so it rolls off their backs better. I often don't take criticism well and it's not really because I'm so egotistical, or maybe it is, since the flip of egotism is a yawning oh HELL maybe I really am no good at anything at all! kind of mentality. Which I think gets hammered out of you in some environments (i.e. families)

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 25 January 2006 02:06 (twenty years ago)

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