Criticism

[Petra Fyde]

Something I read a while ago. I failed to make a note of the author's name, which is very remiss of me, but I thought I'd share it anyway:

The impact of destructive criticism can vary from person to person. The motive for giving it out also, of course, varies.

Sometimes a noble motive is put forward. I call this the "get real" motive. Here the justification for attempting to rubbish some writing or even its author, is that the author needs "waking" up to how bad they are. The destructive criticiser is "doing the person a favour in the long run". I find such a motive very suspect and, at best, often misjudged and misplaced. The impact will usually be more than "waking someone up". It can cause dejection and demotivation.

"Don't give up your day job."

Often criticism is destructive, simply because it is lazily or clumsily articulated. For example:

"That poem was an overdose of repetition". Hidden in here is something constructive of course which might have better been articulated as: "There was far too much repetition in the poem. For example..." The first criticism would be taken as less destructive if the writer and critic knew and trusted each other. However, in more public discussions and forums, where such trust cannot be presumed, the destructiveness has the potential to hurt rather than help. I would argue for expressing more specifically and accurately. Especially in writers' chat rooms. But this takes more effort and thought.

In some writers' chat rooms, criticism becomes destructive when:

1. The critic isn't being a critic at all but is just there to cause damage or trouble for their own personal entertainment.
2. The critic has a fixed definition of what a good writer is and sees it as a "moral mission" to destroy anyone who doesn't match that definition and specifically those who seem to the critic to be "no-hopers", or over-confident people who "need bringing down to earth."
3. The critic is jealous of the ability of the writer's work
4. The critic is simply incompetent or too lazy at giving well considered, clearly and helpfully expressed feedback, and so defaults to a lazier or clumsier style. (This lazy and quick typing is both a boon and a bane of chat rooms)
5. The critic doesn't know how to give constructive criticism in the first place.

The destruction of course, may draw attention to the critic (and this may be their real motive anyway), it may destroy or harm the motivation or self-worth of the writer, it may create misunderstanding and hurt. It will often sap the energy of a chat room or harm its creative or supportive atmosphere.

Writers who work professionally or who aspire to be writers see constructive criticism as necessary to their improvement as writers. Some welcome it more than others. Good constructive criticism may be articulated well and itself be an example of good writing. So often the poor quality and lack of even wit in destructive criticism simply shows the critic as a poor writer, lazy, clumsy and the last person on the planet the writer being criticised should listen to.

 

[Vlaude]

This article is quite critical of people who criticize others

Thanks Petra

 

[Ahuaeyjnkxs]

I walk along the street of sorrow,
The boulevard of broken dreams.
Where gigolo and gigolette
Can take a kiss without regret
So they forget their broken dreams.


You laugh tonight and cry tomorrow,
When you behold your shattered dreams.
And gigolo and gigolette
Awake to find their eyes are wet
With tears that tell of broken dreams.


Here is where you’ll always find me,
Always walking up and down.
But I left my soul behind me
In an old cathedral town.


The joy you find here, you borrow,
You cannot keep it long, it seems.
But gigolo and gigolette
Still sing a song and dance along
The boulevard of broken dreams.

but I left my soul behind me...

 

[Aran]

Petra old

 

[Farsight]

As far as I can tell, this is the original source:
Destructive Criticism « CATS3000

Criticism is how I discovered that I'm a lousy fiction writer.

 

[Petra Fyde]

Thank you, that is indeed the source. It struck a bell with me as I've heard those 'reasons' for destructive criticism before. They are demotivational, and can lead to people doing a job by 'going through the motions' rather than with enthusiasm and dedication.
Why bother going that extra mile when what you do is only going to get torn apart and ridiculed anyway?

 

[Ahuaeyjnkxs]

That is exactly the powerful message of ascension of the Avatar.

That it is the intention that matters, and because the state of recursive intent is bearer of abundance and unspoken worlds.

They open dimentions so to speak, that is your true power.

Thing is... it is so for everyone else that exists in Sosaria... exept us companions.

Perseverance in action and patience of service lead to the valley of love and delight, it is simple.

 

[Vlaude]

http://i56.***********/mrr13m.gif

 

[Ahuaeyjnkxs]

Took quite a while !

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

http://i56.***********/mrr13m.gif

nice graphic ... but the correct explanation is that the mid-point of the two hypotenuse (long side of the triangle) is the vertex of an obtuse angle and NOT a collinear point of two collinear line segments (as the trick appears to present)
Line (geometry) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

the better representation of "the puzzle type/class" is where the "white square" is masked by black(65)
and a second assembly "proves" the other two Wrong (63)
heh! eyeballing < (is less than) Math ...

 

[Ahuaeyjnkxs]

Thanks for the corrections... Mr. Genius

Can you guess why I chose it ?

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

Thanks for the corrections... Fayled Dhreams

Can you guess why I chose it ?

All the work one cares to add will not turn a mud pie into an apple tart.

I would guess that you were bored and thought it pretty clever ...
just another "shiny squirrel".
*shrugs*

Heinlein summed your "value" best

Of course, the Marxian definition of value is ridiculous. All the work one cares to add will not turn a mud pie into an apple tart; it remains a mud pie, value zero. By corollary, unskillful work can easily subtract value; an untalented cook can turn wholesome dough and fresh green apples, valuable already, into an inedible mess, value zero. Conversely, a great chef can fashion of those same materials a confection of greater value than a commonplace apple tart, with no more effort than an ordinary cook uses to prepare an ordinary sweet. These kitchen illustrations demolish the Marxian theory of value - the fallacy from which the entire magnificent fraud of communism derives - and to illustrate the truth of the common-sense definition as measured in terms of use.

"Value" has no meaning other than in relationship to living beings. The value of a thing is always relative to a particular person, is completely personal and different in quantity for each living human—"market value" is a fiction, merely a rough guess at the average of personal values, all of which must be quantitatively different or trade would be impossible. [...] This very personal relationship, "value", has two factors for a human being: first, what he can do with a thing, its use to him… and second, what he must do to get it, its cost to him. There is an old song which asserts that "the best things in life are free". Not true! Utterly false! This was the tragic fallacy which brought on the decadence and collapse of the democracies of the twentieth century; those noble experiments failed because the people had been led to believe that they could simply vote for whatever they wanted… and get it, without toil, without sweat, without tears."

*double shoulder shrug*

Some one once cracked that "the 50's wanted their writting style back" in reference to My Style ...

I didn't BEGIN creating it until (looks at join date) Dec 2003
Point being: their "destructive criticism" held no "value" for me ...
and though their self assessed "+ points" for a "clever slam"
left them smug and content
others through out time and history
will value it for THEIR needs ...

burma shave *lights a firework*

 

[Ahuaeyjnkxs]

Once again I am baffled by your extremely accurate gut instinct.

In a way you are better than most woman at this, did you know you could have a talent for drag queen ?

I read the first line and how vicious and devious of you my loyal good goody good friend ; you hit it right where it matters most.

To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.

I am actually extreemly, in the utmost extremity of radicalism, and did I mention it was all extreme... honored to be compared to a mud pie cause you see, if its fine, micronised mud which took time to bake in the sun it becomes extreemly valuable.

Maybe you will be hard pressed to understand why it has more value to me than the apple pie. Oh yes its a quick pleasure and feels good when ignorance is bliss dosen't it ?

I'll eat roots, leave the apple pie to you and go with the mud pie thank you.

But sure lets read the rest of your communication now...

"Value" has no meaning other than in relationship to living beings.

You're just going to feed me more, will you ? It dosen't get any easier than this folks...

Who the heck are you to know a planet dosen't value its moons ? Do you think planets are dead, or are they alive ?

There, a nice consise spectrum of options, very much different from socialist views...

market value" is a fiction, merely a rough guess at the average of personal values, all of which must be quantitatively different or trade would be impossible. [...] This very personal relationship, "value", has two factors for a human being: first, what he can do with a thing, its use to him… and second, what he must do to get it, its cost to him.

That is very wise to be conscious of the dynamics at play ; in fact I could not agree more. Ron Paul and many others have showed repititive allegiance with hand gestures and other very definite arguments to a school of tought that is illuminati in nature. Who do you think I am to know which is witch and who is who ?

You don't like the guy do you ? How perceptive of you again... I might begin to see some recondite in you, however I much doubt you aren't receiving some help.

I know that in the future, I am helping you understand there is another layer you are not perceiving, in fact I am here and you anticipated that reply from me.

hm... I don't shave mr... wannabe prophet. (this is one of your knots I do not bother to check up )

 

[Cirno]

Could both of you (Fayled Dhreams and Ahuaejnkxs) please take this to PM.
Your public disagreements are becoming too much.

 

[Ahuaeyjnkxs]

If it was of no public interest, I would have taken this elsewhere...

But there are some things to be said about what some people do... or did ? So that it stops.

Hopefully did... but nonetheless ; it is extreemly on topic and much more than a disagreement.