Criticism

The article is very logical and makes sense; one would have to wonder why criticism is almost never given or received in the manner he describes. What he describes is a very civilized method of discussing work. Unfortunately in the world of critiques, a lot of other factors are involved. Movie reviews for one, are almost always written or given without the creator able to respond. There is no interest in a dialogue, so how to change that? Within the work world, he leaves out the factors of office jealousy and rank. Both big factors out there in the real world especially in fields of creativity where jobs are few and competition is fierce. These were my initial thoughts when reading this article having been a working person for 11 years and seeing office dynamics I have realized that often high school is more recalled than any measure of adult civility.
Personally do I agree with him, yes. One thing though I have seen at least in classes are the students looking blindly to the professor to fix their work. I think one of the most important things to think about in dealing with criticism is looking at oneself in the mirror and knowing that the work one is putting out into the public is the best possible. Many people become defensive when they are asked questions they have no answer for, even if they are as simple as "what do you want to say by this body of work". When people know deep down they are not prepared, it is hard to receive the criticism even if it is neutral. Believing in one's own work I think allows for the ability to receive criticism constructively: one knows what one wants to say, one knows where one is willing to compromise and where not. Anyone who puts out a well prepared piece knows how many revisions it took to get there, how different the final product looks from the beginning and they are probably more willing to continue with revisions than the person that slaps something together and wants desperately to believe it is perfect...ok I am rambling now so I will stop.