How to respond to criticism or rejection: tips from Seth Godin

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

People love to criticize. On business or without, with knowledge or just passed by. That is how they are arranged. And many people like to express their opinion, even if they were not asked to do so. And other people respond to this criticism. And then they are tormented by doubts, do not sleep at night and sometimes even abandon a really good idea or give up what they have begun. Because if the work is beloved, if a huge amount of time and effort is given to the work, if the soul is invested in the work, it is almost impossible to hear criticism or receive refusals while remaining unperturbed. And only a few have the strength of mind to insist on their own, ignore small injections and go further towards their goal. The dog barks, the caravan moves on.

In his new book, The Icarus Deception, Seth Godin shares his experience and advice on how to gain inner peace and confidence and respond correctly to criticism and rejection.

In his book, Seth Godin speaks to people who show courage and do their work with feeling, as a creator should.

“Art (the act of creation) is frightening. Art is not cute. Art is not painting. Art is not something that you have hung on your wall. Art is what we do when we feel truly alive. An artist is someone who uses courage, discernment, creativity and daring to challenge the status quo. And everything (work, process, feedback from those with whom we want to contact) is perceived by the artist as personal."

No matter how thick-skinned we consider ourselves, all the same, every small injection slowly does its simple thing - it makes us doubt. In itself. In others. In my work. And it can make you give up and give up. Stop striving for new heights and stop developing. Refusal after refusal, we are less and less inclined to move somewhere. Because sitting still is warm, comfortable and safe. And beyond these boundaries of comfort - frightening uncertainty and fear of being rejected again.

And here's what Seth says about this:

“Change is powerful. But change always goes hand in hand with the likelihood of failure. “It may not work” is not just the same as being tolerant. This is exactly what you should be looking for."

Even if they say about your new business plan that it will destroy the industry or leave many people behind, it is still better than silence and a complete lack of reaction from others.

Godin also notes that critics and those in power use shame to curb the fervor of innovators.

“Fear and shame are powerful behavioral management tools. And people in power have been using them for many years. They want them to be able to change us through shame. And we have always been taught to listen to our conscience and swallow it all.

It's great when you know that there are people out there who will seek to use the feeling of shame. But this does not mean at all that you should take it for granted. We don't work for applause. And it would be foolish to read anonymous comments on the site or offensive tweets from the gallery. All of this is an attempt to calm you down and make you dance to your tune. Unless you want it too."

But the most interesting thing is that Seth Godin says that you can remain vulnerable and not pay attention to criticism and rejection, and continue to do amazing things.

“But if we let shame become part of our vulnerability, we let it destroy our work. You can't create when the stakes are so high. You cannot say, “If it works, good. But nothing will come of it, then I will be ashamed. The only way to be successful and yet vulnerable is to separate the results of your creativity from your instinct for guilt. And this is possible, because in order for someone to be able to make you feel ashamed, that feeling must also be accepted in order for it to work. You cannot make us feel ashamed without our participation.

And then, the artist, mixing boldness with a fierce willingness to refuse to accept shame. Yes, guilty, of course! But shame is never. What shameful thing is that we use our best intentions to create for those we care about?"

How much would the world lose if people constantly listened to the opinions of others? Especially to those who constantly criticize and assure that nothing will come of it? Many wonderful works and inventions would not have come into being.

How do you react to such criticism and remarks? Have you thrown something because of the sarcastic voices from the gallery?