How to Avoid Being Criticized

You want to stay safe professionally, relationally, creatively, and all the other -lys?

Simple.

Just do the same thing mostly the same way all the time. That's safe. Like a declawed, defanged cat, it's manageable and tame. But it still won't love you.

Safe also keeps the critics at bay. Do what you're expected to do. Stay in your lane. And the best part is you can still criticize others without being criticized yourself!! What is this sorcery magic? You may be wondering, how can I buy what you’re selling?!?

Allow me to allow Seth Godin to explain.

If your work has never been critcized, it's unlikely you have any work. Creating work is the point, though, which means that in order to do something that matters, you're going to be criticized.

If your goal is to be universally liked and respected an understood, then, it must mean your goals is to not do something that matters. Which requires hiding. Hiding, of course, isn't the point.

Hence, the paradox. You don't want to be criticized and you do want to matter.

The solution: Create work that gets criticized. AND, have the discernment to tell the difference between useful criticism (rare and precious) and the stuff worth ignoring (everything else).

Published on Seth's blog

Thanks, Seth.

In other words, staying safe is simple. You just do average. Do what's expected--or less! But not too much less because then even average will make you look really awful.