The Best Response to Criticism
When someone criticizes you, your natural reaction is mostly to feel bad about it or defend yourself. If you lack confidence or if you have no clear opinion about yourself, you may also feel pain and even accept the criticism as true. Living in this world, we have to deal with the opinions of others and keep ourselves safe from their negativity.
Sometimes, you will face genuine criticism from others. If you are too caught up in defensive attitude and not being open minded, you may not receive the criticism well and may not perceive the truth in it. When you are criticized, remember that your opinion of yourself is probably more genuine than the opinion of another who does not know you as much as you know about you.
Yet, we give so much importance to what others say and what they think about us. It is natural because we prefer to be approved and accepted by others, or at least respected and acknowledged for who we are. The truth is, in many respects, criticism is a reflection of the person who indulges in it rather than you. A critic’s criticism reveals more about him and his judgment rather than the object of his criticism.
Criticism is a personal opinion of the critic. It very much depends upon the person, his or her thinking, beliefs, knowledge, attitude and values. It is a product of his worldview, upbringing, values, beliefs, likes and dislikes, knowledge and ignorance. It also depends upon his relationship and attitude towards the person for whom the criticism is intended.
A criticism which is not based upon true discernment（识别能力）and purity of perception and judgment should not be considered true criticism. You can ignore it or use it to know the people who criticize.
Every criticism helps you know about you or those who engage in it. Use it to improve yourself or your relationships. If you understand this truth, you will accept criticism as a blessing and an opportunity to become a better person with better awareness.
1. According to this passage, what is the natural reaction when one gets criticized?2. Why do we give so much importance to what others say and what they think about us?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Since every criticism is a personal opinion of the critic, it is not helpful for us.
4. How do you usually respond to criticism?（In about 40 words）
Teenagers are learning new communication skills every day. It is important for them to have opportunities to network, or to meet and get to know new people. Online networking, which is very popular with teens today, makes short, superficial connections. But offline networking better encourages meaningful connections that will increase hope, develop skills, and open avenues to career opportunity. Teens need to practice more offline networking. It will prepare them to be confident face-to-face communicators in the real world.
A survey of almost 7,000 teens was conducted in 2019 by three Swiss researchers, and they found that teens were spending too much time on social networking sites. So, they suggested that teens should spend more time with others in real life. It not only contributes to a stronger sense of identity and a happier mood, but also gives us the chance to share happiness with other people. In other words, offline networking seems to actually benefit a teen’s emotional health.
Face-to-face communication also gives teens an opportunity to learn to read people. Everyone communicates in person differently than communicating over the phone, through texting, or in online posts. Being face-to-face requires a person to think and respond more quickly—without the safety net of a delete key.
And much of our communication is nonverbal anyway. Facial expressions, gestures, and vocal tones are just a few examples. Teens need to have face-to-face interactions so they can learn to read these nonverbal cues(暗示), which are sometimes even more important than the words a person is saying. A time will come when the teen will need to enter the job market, and this usually means a face-to-face interaction, including interacting naturally with customers, hearing and understanding their words as well as their nonverbal cues in many different kinds of businesses.
Offline networking is important because it can improve a teenager’s well-being and help prepare him for the future. That’s why every teen should spend time practicing real-world interactions.
1. What is the disadvantage of online networking?2. What was the researchers’ suggestion to teens?
3. Read the following statement, underline the false part of it and explain the reason.
Hearing and understanding what a person is saying is necessarily involved in communication, so people get less from nonverbal expressions.
4. Please present what you can do to make effective face-to-face communication in your daily life. (about 40 words)
