#Psychology #Education #Mindfulness #Self

Here’s How I Use Negative Criticism Innovatively.

High achievers’ and inventors’ perspectives on creativity, productivity, and growth

Fear of negative criticism is natural. Our primitive brain creates this well-known fear. We all are hardwired and feel this fear in the fabric of our souls. This psychological phenomenon is widespread in the body of knowledge.

Mental health practitioners developed processes and procedures to address this fear, especially when it passed the threshold levels and turned into a chronic psychological problem interfering life functions of individuals.

We, humans, do not like negative criticism. This type of criticism is usually undesirable and signals threat alarms to our survival. The hard-coded survival mechanism tries to protect us from this perceived threat. Yes, it is a perceived threat, not a real danger.

My central premise in this article is looking at the topic from a survival versus thriving point of view. While survival keeps us safe in our comfort zones, thriving requires effort to move out of our comfort zones and challenge our abilities.

This significant yet straightforward viewpoint is the major success factor for humans to grow and design their lives based on their desired goals and objectives.

To thrive, we simply need to embrace negative criticism. This notion sounds easier said than done for many of us. Accepting and embracing negative criticism requires substantial mental effort. We must switch from the instincts of our primitive brain and tap into our cognitive mind.

One of the best practices for achieving this challenging cognitive task is to use the mindfulness approach. Mindfulness practice can help us observe our thoughts, sensations, behavior, and external stimulus. The core merit of mindfulness is living in the moment.

Through mindfulness practice, we use the thinking part of the brain more efficiently. This efficient use can help us develop attention, focus, awareness, and reasoning muscles in the cortex.

How to accept and embrace negative criticism

Through mindfulness practice, we create a mental foundation and capacity to deal with negative criticism. A developed mental foundation and initial capacity are the starting points.

We then need to strengthen this foundation and increase the capacity incrementally, making mindful living a disciplined lifestyle both in our personal and professional endeavors.

The next stage is to understand and learn the benefits of negative criticism. We can leverage prior knowledge for this.

Evidently, many successful writers, leaders, professionals in various domains, public figures, and celebrities have learned the benefits of negative criticism by following prior learning from their parents, teachers, leaders, mentors, and coaches.

We can obtain prior knowledge from various sources such as biographies, educational materials, and informal and formal education practices. Then this knowledge can be practiced individually or with the help of others.

What are the key benefits of accepting, embracing, and using negative criticism?

From a high level, the main benefit of negative criticism is to gain new perspectives in life. For example, negative comments about our work can keep us alert and activate our cognitive brain to find alternative solutions. Paradoxically, negative criticism can be a positive motivation tool.

During this activation process, with new insights, we come up with interesting and alternative solutions. This process helps us become more creative and innovative.

Overall feedback for any initiative aims to maintain quality. Besides, negative feedback particularly has the potential to extend and expand ideas, content, and other intellectual materials.

Let’s consider a few practical examples of this in professional life. Prolific writers want their manuscripts to be torn apart by editors. The best-selling books are edited multiple times with substantial criticism from editors, reviewers, beta readers, agents, and publishers.

Academia thrives with negative criticism. We know that the academic world sounds cruel to the public. We think that academics are too critical and nothing is right for them. There is truth to this point.

We have the same perception as scientists. Many double-blind studies are harshly criticized at many levels, but only with this criticism do we create more options and make them appealing to the majority.

Inventors’ perspectives on negative criticism

In my profession, I experienced the benefits of negative criticism substantially in the invention process. The process is rigorous because the end product must be novel, functioning, practical, and usable in society.

I have never seen cozy ideas be patented. As an inventor and an active member of invention development and assessment teams, I learned the value of negative criticism in this process. We see negative criticism as the best feedback.

The best inventors I met specifically solicit negative criticism in their review and feedback sessions. Even though positive feedback has inspirational and motivational value, it is negative criticism that helps inventors to create alternative solutions, gain precision, and develop the final quality solution.

The inventors who use negative criticism as a productivity tool come up with original and insightful ideas leading to innovative products and services that can change our lives positively.

Negative criticism helps inventors to look at things from many perspectives and different levels.

By embracing negative criticism, inventors move from their comfort zone to stretch and risk zones. Some super achievers even attempt to go to the danger zones once they fully overcome their fear and turn it into genuine understanding. Radioactivity, electricity, and nuclear energy patents are prime examples of danger zone activities for inventors.

Inventors operating in risk and danger zones are the ones shaking the world with high-impact inventions.

Initially, their ideas are scared, ridiculed, and even punished but once understood, people start embracing them and making them their heroes. Heroic ideas and the implementation of those ideas are the ones that transformed our world into this modern state.

We have seen many examples of ridiculed and penalized ideas throughout history. Some inventors and thought leaders were even killed because of their radical ideas.

Fortunately, in the modern world, we developed and implemented freedom of information and freedom of thought. Many developed and democratic countries understood the importance of freedom of ideas, took appropriate measures, and implemented solutions in their legal system.

Caveat

As a key caveat and an important consideration, we shouldn’t confuse negative criticism with destructive activities like insult, disrespect, abuse, intimidation, or harassment. Academics, scientists, inventors, and other professionals provide negative feedback with respect and courtesy.

Conclusions and Takeaways

I want to provide a summary of key points to start using negative criticism as a productivity and growth tool.

Step 1: We understand how our mind works and learn how to use our cognitive mind.

Step 2: We develop a mindful lifestyle.

Step 3: We create mental foundations and increase our mental capacity.

Step 4: We strengthen our mental foundations and increase our mental capacity

Step 5. We understand and learn the benefits of negative criticism.

Step 6. We condition our brain to accept negative criticism and repeat it at every opportunity.

Step 7: We turn this psychological conditioning into a habit and embed it into our lifestyle.

Once we embed the use of negative criticism productively in our lifestyle, it can be reflected in our behavior and can turn into second nature. Then we reap the benefits sustainably.

If you enjoyed this story, you might also check my personal stories sharing insights of other people in my circles.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

If you are a new reader and find this article valuable, you might check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting on my reviews, observations, and decades of sensible experiments.

Sample Health Improvement Articles for New Readers

I write about various hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, GABA, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, adrenaline, glutamate, and histamine.

One of my goals as a writer is to raise awareness about the causes and risk factors of prevalent diseases that can lead to suffering and death for a large portion of the population.

To raise awareness about health issues, I have written several articles that present my holistic health findings from research, personal observations, and unique experiences. Below are links to these articles for easy access.

Metabolic Syndrome, Type II Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease, Heart Disease, Strokes, Obesity, Liver Cancer, Autoimmune Disorders, Homocysteine, Lungs Health, Pancreas Health, Kidneys Health, NCDs, Infectious Diseases, Brain Health, Dementia, Depression, Brain Atrophy, Neonatal Disorders, Skin Health, Dental Health, Bone Health, Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain, Brain Fog, Chronic Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Elevated Cortisol, Leptin Resistance, Anabolic Resistance, Cholesterol, High Triglycerides, Metabolic Disorders, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Thyroid Disorders, Anemia, cardiac output, and major disorders.

I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:

Lutein/Zeaxanthin, Phosphatidylserine, Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, zinc, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, Cod Liver Oil, and other nutrients to improve metabolism and mental health.

Disclaimer: Please note that my posts do not include professional or health advice. I document my reviews, observations, experience, and perspectives only to provide information and create awareness.

I publish my lifestyle, health, and well-being stories on EUPHORIA. My focus is on metabolic, cellular, mitochondrial, and mental health. Here is my collection of Insightful Life Lessons from Personal Stories.

If you enjoy writing and storytelling, you can join Medium, NewsBreak, and Vocal as a creator to find your voice, reach out to a broad audience, and monetize your content.

You may also check my blog posts about my articles and articles of other writers contributing to my publications on Medium. I share them on my website digitalmehmet.com. Here is my professional bio. You can contact me via weblink.

As a writer, blogger, content developer, and reader, you might join Medium, Vocal Media, NewsBreak, Medium Writing Superstars, Writing Paychecks, WordPress, and Thinkers360 with my referral links. These affiliate links will not cost you extra to join the services.

You might join my six publications on Medium as a writer by sending a request via this link. 19K+ writers contribute to my publications. You might find more information about my professional background.

If you enjoy reading, you may join Medium with my referral link for limitless access to my stories and other writers.