Terms defined…

Critic: noun, 1. a person who expresses an unfavorable opinion of something. 2. a person who judges the merits of literary, artistic, or musical works, especially one who does so professionally.

Critique: noun, a detailed analysis and assessment of something, especially a literary, philosophical, or political theory.

Criticize: verb, 1. indicate the faults of (someone or something) in a disapproving way. 2. form and express a sophisticated judgment of (a literary or artistic work).

Thoughts refined…

I’m curious if the critic ever gets tired of criticizing and critiquing. I wonder if the critic can take criticism from others?

Criticizing takes energy and effort; both could be used more productively. Criticizing belittles, making a person feel small. Too much criticism received in a short time can cause a person to feel like a failure.

The critic sees the world with a very narrow lens, one of their own making and choosing. The critic believes the way they view the world is the only way and the right way to see things.

The critic has a comment or an observation about everything and everyone, and they are not afraid to speak and share. It may be right, but it also could be wrong; to the critic, that does not matter. The way they see the world and the way they think about how the world operates is the right way; the only way; there is no other possible way!

Does the critic have a desire to make the other person better? Or, does the critic feel so inadequate and insecure about themselves that heaping criticism onto another somehow makes them feel better about themselves? Does the critic understand the weight of their words? Does the critic care?

The critic never asks for permission to speak; never asks with humility to share their thoughts in critiquing another person. The critic speaks… loud, heavy, detailed, stinging, weighty words.

When the person being criticized finally reacts, and sometimes they overreact, the critic defends their pointless words and places blame; the blame game begins. Words are lobbed back and forth at one another until anger subsides and energy is gone. Nothing gets resolved, and nothing gets healed. The sunsets and the sunrises, and the pattern begins again.