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15 May 15
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To be critical meant, positively, to have good, informed judgement about matters of culture (to be cultivated, to be a man or woman of distinction), but negatively it could also refer to the (unreasonable) rejection or (unfair) treatment of some outside group ("to be critical of them"). Derivatively, "a criticism" also referred to a nice point or a distinction, a tiny detail, a pedantic nicety, a subtlety, or a quibble (the sense of what today is called a "minor criticism"). Often criticism was governed by very strict cultural rules of politeness, propriety and decency, and there could be immediate penalties if the wrong words were said or written down
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Respect the individual, focus the criticism on the behavior that needs changing - on what people actually do or actually say.
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if the criticism is clearly directed only to "what people actually do" that is wrong, instead of "who they are", it creates possibilities, options and choices for doing something different and better. They can't change who they are, but they can change their actions. Because people's sense of dignity is secure in this case, they are better able to respond to the criticism, and indeed do something about it
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To express a criticism may require detailed explanation or clarification; it presupposes that the knowledge exists to understand what it is about, and that people are willing to listen.
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People can also be hurt by criticisms, when they experience the criticism as a personal attack.
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If the criticism is badly expressed, people might reject it, not because it is wrong in itself, but because they do not like being talked to in that way.
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The only thing a lousy criticism achieves is to make it clear that somebody has an objection (although the objection is not well-taken).
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often acknowledging that the critics themselves could be wrong
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So self-confidence can play a big role in criticism - the confidence to criticize, and the confidence to face criticism.
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A lot of critical activity may consist simply of a battle to get one’s ideas taken seriously.
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23 Jun 14
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French expression critique has roots in Latin ("criticus" - a judger, decider, or critic
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The early English meaning of criticism was primarily literary criticism, that of judging and interpreting literature.
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- The shape and meanings of criticism were influenced considerably by wars (including two world wars) occurring almost continuously somewhere in the world.
- With the growth of specializations in the division of labour, and the growth of tertiary education, innumerable different branches of criticism emerged with their own rules and specialized technical meanings.
- Philosophers such as Karl Popper and Imre Lakatos have popularized the idea, that criticism is a normal part of scientific activity. Relatedly, "scientific criticism" has become a standard expression, just as much as "literary criticism".
- Gradually it was accepted that criticism is a normal process in a democratic society, rather than a sign of inadequacy, or something that should be strictly controlled or repressed.
20th century[edit]
In the 20th century, all these meanings continued, but criticism acquired the more general connotation of voicing an objection, or of appraising the pros and cons of something.
From the 1970s onward, under the influence of neo-Marxism, critical theory and Michel Foucault, it became fashionable in the English-speaking academic social sciences and humanities to use the French word "critique", instead of the ordinary "criticism".
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- From the 1990s, the popular meanings of the word criticism have started to evolve more strongly toward "having an objection", "expressing dissent", "stating a dislike", "wanting to dissociate from something", or "rejecting something" ("If you liked it, you would not be criticizing it"). In the contemporary sense, criticism is often more the expression of an attitude, where the object of criticism may only be vaguely defined. For example, somebody "unlikes" something on Facebook or "unfriends" somebody.
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Professionally, "what it means to criticize" has become a much more specialized and technical matter, where "inside knowledge" is required to understand the criticism truly; this development is linked to the circumstance, that the right to criticize, or the propriety (appropriate use) of criticism, is regarded nowadays much more as depending on one's position, or on the context of the situation ("I would like to say something, but I am not in a position to criticize").
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, the psychology of criticism studies the cognitive and emotional effects of criticism, the behavioral characteristics of criticism, and its influence on how people are reacting.
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- the motivation, purpose or intent which people have for making criticisms - healthy or unhealthy.
- the meaning of criticism for the self, and for others - positive or negative.
- the effect which criticism has on other people - good or bad.
- how people respond to criticisms, or cope with them - negatively or positively.
- the quantity and quality of criticism required to achieve the desired effect or outcome.
- the form in which criticisms are delivered - effective or ineffective.
- how people learn to give and receive criticism successfully.
- the sublimation, repression or denial of criticism.
The psychology of criticism is primarily concerned with:
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The most basic rule[edit]
The most basic "rule-of-thumb" of criticism which psychologists usually recommend is:
"Respect the individual, focus the criticism on the behavior that needs changing - on what people actually do or actually say."
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- It may be difficult to have respect for somebody who is the target of criticism, especially if there is a history of grievances.
- It may be that it seems as though people are being respected, but in reality (if you understand the full meaning) they are being disrespected. It might look formally like they are treated as equals, but in reality (informally speaking, practically and substantively) they are being denigrated.
- It may be difficult to consider the action which is being criticized, in its own right, separately from the person ("only you could do something awful like this to me").
Application[edit]
The basic rule is not always easy to apply.
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Exception to the rule[edit]
The exception to the basic psychological rule consists of cases where, it is argued, the individuals and their behaviors cannot be distinguished. This would be the case, for example, if the criticism itself consisted of "being there" (intruding, trespassing, causing property damage), or "not being there" (non-response).
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- Insight: critics should clearly understand why they are criticizing.
- Attitude: critics should be emotionally confident and morally comfortable, both about making a criticism, and about dealing with the response to criticism.
- Inquiry: critics should be willing to question authority, popular opinion, and assumptions.
- Knowledge: critics should research the subject of their criticism to maintain the factual integrity of their criticism.
- Skills: critics should choose and apply the correct kind of criticism to an issue, so that the criticism will be balanced, complete and persuasive. Critics require adequate skills in reasoning, research, and communication.
- Integrity: critics should remain consistent and honest before, during, and after a criticism is expressed.
Learning to criticize[edit]
The ability to criticize is something which rarely occurs naturally; it must be learnt. Good critics exhibit several kinds of qualities:
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- People can be too critical, but they can also be insufficiently critical. It is important to strike a good balance: to be neither excessively critical nor completely uncritical.
- People who are too critical and focus only on the downside or limitation of things run into the problem that others perceive them as being "too negative", and lacking a "constructive attitude". If there is too much criticism, it gets in the way of getting anything done - people are just "anti", but "it does not lead anywhere".
- People who are uncritical, however, are often regarded as naive and superficial ("suckers"); they lack discernment, they are prone to being deceived and tricked, because they readily believe all kinds of things, which they should not accept just like that, for their own good. If they thought more critically, they would not give in so easily to what others say or do. The idea here is that "one should not be so open-minded that one's brains fall out."
Balance[edit]
With criticism it is always important to keep things in proportion, neither overdoing things, nor being too timid.
An important reason why balanced criticism is desirable is, that if things get totally out of proportion, the critics or their targets can lose their balance themselves. Criticism can wreak havoc, and therefore people have to know how to handle it from both ends. If the criticism is balanced, it is more likely to be successful.
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- timely, not too early nor too late.
- brief and succinct, with a clear start and a finish, not endless.
- relevant and to the point, not misplaced.
- clear, specific and precise, not vague.
- well-researched, not based on hear-say or speculative thought.
- sincere and positively intended, not malicious.
- articulate, persuasive and actionable, so that the recipient can both understand the criticism and be motivated to act on the message.[4][5
A good criticism[edit]
Ideally, a criticism should be:
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- Criticism is made at the wrong time and place: people might accept that the critic has a point, but "they can't do anything about it now."
- Criticism is too long: people get confused over what it is all about, they get lost in it, and become disoriented.
- Criticism is vague: people are likely to say, "so what"?
- Criticism is inappropriate, or the critic is not really in a position to make it: people will say "you're way out of line".
- Criticism has no clear target: people are likely just to conclude that "so-and-so is in a bad mood right now" or "he's had too much of it."
- Criticism assigns blame or states problems without suggesting solutions: people are likely to conclude this information is not very useful.[6]
- Critic did no research before making the criticism: people will say, "very interesting, but this cuts no ice."
- Criticism has no clear motivation: "why are you telling me this, and why are you telling me about it now?".
- Critic makes bad criticisms regularly: it discredits the critic.
Lousy criticism[edit]
Logically, there are just as many ways to get a criticism wrong as to get the criticism right.
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Hamburger method[edit]
One style of constructive criticism employs the "hamburger method",[9] in which each potentially harsh criticism (the "meat") is surrounded by compliments (the "buns"). The idea is to help the person being criticized feel more comfortable, and assure the person that the critic's perspective is not entirely negative. This is a specific application of the more general principle that criticism should be focused on maintaining healthy relationships, and be mindful of the positive as well as the negative.[10]
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Purpose of criticism
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- Diagnosis and error correction: critiques identify the limitations of the object of criticism. A film critic, for example, might discuss the extent to which a particular film was able to communicate a theme. Criticisms also identify prejudices, biases, and hidden assumptions.
- Improvement: by evaluating the ability of an individual, action, or idea to accomplish a given objective, critiques identify possible improvement areas. Criticisms may also present alternative perspectives or suggestions, both of which facilitate improvement.
- Ethical implications: critiques of societal norms or public policies have the potential to effect a large number of people in a profound way and are thus ethically desirable.
Affirmative Arguments[edit]
However, there are also significant reasons why a critique may be necessary or desirable in particular situations.
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05 May 08
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