by Rick Baker
On Jul 12, 2011
Objective, well-intentioned, well delivered criticism will still gnaw, rip, and tear thin skin.
Criticism will always gnaw, rip, and tear at thin skin.
That is a given.
The only question is: how will the thin-skinned person react as that thin skin rips and tears?
And, of importance will ‘motivation’ get dragged into the bloody discussion after the ripping and tearing of thin skin?
Yes it will.
Sometimes a voice will say, “You demotivate me” or something similar.
Other times the thought will be there, but it will be unspoken.
Regardless of who’s to blame, when skin is thin criticism will demotivate.
PS: Going one layer deeper, I think the 2 words ‘constructive criticism’ form an anti-oxymoron [which is a word I made up]. The words ‘constructive’ and ‘criticism’ are neither contradictory nor apparently contradictory. Quite the opposite: the 2 words appear compatible. That’s the problem. That’s why ‘constructive criticism’ is so widely used and so widely embraced as ‘good way to deal with other people’. Regardless, those 2 words ‘constructive’ and ‘criticism’ should never be paired. Together, they do not guide, they mislead.