4 Reasons We Should Embrace Feedback — Even if it is Criticism
Let’s be Honest
Being scrutinized never feels good. It can cause you to feel judged, like you’re insufficient, regardless of how enthusiastically you attempt to accept it. Most reactions to criticism are to get defensive, make excuses, or blame someone else. None of those options are especially constructive.
It’s up to you on how to decide to respond to the feedback. Our brains are only wired to see the feedback as an opportunity or as a threat. The word criticism has a negative connotation immediately if you place the discussion or feedback in that category. You can see it as a personal attack, or you can embrace it, extract the positive from it, and move on.
The success and acceptance of delivering the feedback are highly dependent on the degree of trust between the individuals. “Achieving a balance between closeness, distance, and constructive criticism requires openness, courage, and trust on the part of both the researcher and the participants” (Svensson, 2007). If you feel skeptical about criticism having any benefits, here are the four reasons to extract the best out of feedback or criticism:
