{"id":250,"date":"2011-07-21T17:43:23","date_gmt":"2011-07-21T21:43:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maniactive.com\/blog\/?p=250"},"modified":"2011-07-21T17:43:23","modified_gmt":"2011-07-21T21:43:23","slug":"tsk-some-people-do-nothing-but-criticize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maniactive.com\/blog\/tsk-some-people-do-nothing-but-criticize\/250","title":{"rendered":"Tsk! Some people do nothing but criticize…"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Waah! Some people<\/a> just sit back + criticize when we try to do good for our community,” pout legions of wannabe activists.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Many passive-aggressive dimwits have gotten it into their puny brains that thoughtful, articulate criticism is the equivalent of “do-nothing”. That critics “sit back” while criticizing. That criticism is a nobler, fancier word for “bitching”. Or that a critic is slothful at best and damaging at worst.<\/p>\n

\"Sloth\"<\/a><\/p>\n

photo credit:\u00a0Rhys Asplundh<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here’s a five-step self-help program designed for those who whine about the perceived ease or “negativity” of thoughtful criticism:<\/p>\n

1. Build or co-opt a good-sized public following of readers, viewers, friends, clients, and\/or colleagues.<\/p>\n

2. Publish a witty or thoughtful speech, article, video or blog post. Sharply criticize a sacred cow or popular vice\/trend of the majority of followers.<\/p>\n

3. Make sure the audience — including both saints + pyschopaths — has a public feedback mechanism. Respond to or categorize every rant, rave, and threat.<\/p>\n

4. Participate in public discussions. Learn how to deal with personal threats, hate mail, irrational fanaticism, reasonable arguments, and irate phone calls.<\/p>\n

For the fifth and final step, post but one ironic and grossly iniquitous tweet:<\/p>\n

“Some people have nothing better to do but sit back and criticize.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Alternatively, try this ostensibly easier exercise: learn to listen to and respect thoughtful criticism.<\/strong> Far from bitchy, good critics make you think. They inspire conversation. They foster relationships. They make ideas better. They make the community better.<\/p>\n

Heck. They make YOU better.<\/p>\n

Without criticism, there can be no activism. And honestly: when was the last time you learned anything from a great review of your work?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Waah! Some people just sit back + criticize when we try to do good for our community,” pout legions of wannabe activists. Many passive-aggressive dimwits have gotten it into their puny brains that thoughtful, articulate criticism is the equivalent of “do-nothing”. That critics “sit back” while criticizing. That criticism is a nobler, fancier word for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,5,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blogging","category-social-media","category-twitter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maniactive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maniactive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maniactive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maniactive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maniactive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=250"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/maniactive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":255,"href":"https:\/\/maniactive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250\/revisions\/255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maniactive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maniactive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maniactive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}