Constructive criticism aims to help improve.
The concept of criticism can refer to the judgment that is pronounced on a work or an issue. Constructive , on the other hand, is that which is useful for building.
Constructive criticism , in this framework, is an evaluative expression that is shared with the objective of helping another person. The intention is to make the other person make a positive change , obtaining benefits from said modification.
For example: “Can I give you constructive criticism? You are using the wrong paint, it is better to use synthetic enamel to paint this type of surface since it has greater durability” , “The player stated that he values constructive criticism” , “When I was young I did not pay attention to constructive criticism, but with "At some point I realized I was wrong."
Constructive criticism vs. destructive criticism
Human beings have a natural tendency to express their opinions and thoughts to influence others. When criticizing, it is possible to take into account the interests and needs of others or, on the contrary, want to impose one's personal vision and overthrow the opinion of the other. In the first case, we talk about constructive criticism , while in the second we usually refer to destructive criticism .
An editor may tell a writer not to develop very long paragraphs because they are difficult to follow. He also recommends using short sentences so that your texts have greater impact. These comments can be considered constructive criticism. On the other hand, if an editor tells an author that he should change his profession because his material is very poor and no one is interested in it, this is destructive criticism.
While constructive criticism seeks to bring about positive change, destructive criticism aims to harm.
A common mechanism
Every day we face other people's opinions from the moment we read the news in the morning until we review it again before going to bed, passing through all the moments in which we deal directly with other people or interact with the different information channels available through of the Internet. Criticism is a very common tool in current communication, if not the most common of all.
Far from being a vain attempt to invade another's space, criticism is an almost natural mechanism that allows us to put into words our sensations and our feelings with respect to the world around us, to external stimuli. However, many people feel a profound difficulty accepting other people's opinions, largely due to a fear of facing their own defects and shortcomings, or perhaps because they believe that they do not have the ability to improve.
Receiving constructive criticism
It is important to note that a friendly comment is not the same as a negative one, constructive criticism is not the same as a destructive one. While the first arises from a generous and altruistic attempt to do us good, the second seeks to nullify us. Although it is difficult for us to learn to deal with the opinions of others, we should learn to assimilate them regardless of their nature.
Every time we receive destructive criticism, we have the option of becoming depressed, of allowing the other to achieve their twisted objectives of attacking our self-esteem , or taking advantage of their words to review our behavior and see if they are right, if we can become better people from them.
In the face of constructive criticism we should always be open, without fear of questioning our certainties, since that is how we can continue to grow. No matter the age, the amount of experiences we have gone through, there is an endless amount of knowledge that awaits us around the corner, many traits of our personality that we could improve, new goals that we could set to develop ourselves, and many times the light It lies precisely in good constructive criticism.