Bitter Pills to Swallow

There’s a way to accept it and there’s a way to reject it. If you ask for critique, someone will give it and it may not be a way you hope to hear.

This is a bitter pill I’ve had to learn to swallow many times over the course of my childhood and adulthood.

Just like you don’t have to read and comment on somebody’s post, I don’t have to read or respond to someone’s critique. While I’ve always tried to be grateful for any effort put into helping me improve my work, I’ve also had to learn to ignore people who do not know where the line is between constructive and condescending.

I have also had to learn to accept when somebody doesn’t truly value my own critique, but rather wants a whole ton of smoke, blown up their behinds. I will always offer my honest viewpoint, based entirely on my own experience and my own knowledge, but I’m not gonna stroke somebody’s ego.

If I am ignorant of something, I will learn about that thing before I am brave enough to comment on it, or I simply won’t comment on it because I do not feel qualified enough to do so. I have learned so many things just trying to prevent making a confidently incorrect ignorant comment, and it is opened up my world.

Obviously I have not been active on this forum for almost seven years, so this is not in response to any one person, or any recent discussion in particular, so please do not take this personally.