What's even better than a bunch of criticisms?

“Are you going out in that clothes?

How many times have you heard your mother criticize your fashion style?

Perhaps, about as many as I’ve heard mine when I was young and had zero fashion sense.

“You’re slouching. Walk with your back straight."

Another one of the criticisms I’ve heard

Later, I understood that all of these criticisms come from a place of good intent.

We live in a society that cares so much about appearances.

One’s mother should criticize her child first. It's better than for other mothers to criticize her and her daughter.

In this manner, I grew up recognizing myself as my worst critic.

At one point, I’ve become so critical of myself that when others praise me, I don’t trust their flattery.

But you know, becoming too critical of yourself and other people can harm your well-being.

It can cause you to hesitate asking for help because you’re afraid to be criticized.

You criticize yourself even if you did good work.

That leads to endless dissatisfaction or perfectionism.

Your criticism of others, if done wrongly, might also cause them to do poor work because their self-esteem took a direct hit.

If you see being a critic and being critical in a negative light, let's turn that into something positive.

Why not consider becoming a critical thinker instead?

(Isn't it amazing that adding just one word to a negative one completely reverses its meaning?)

Being a critical thinker means that you weigh every decision with good judgment.

Ask questions to uncover the truth behind criticisms instead of letting out fixed opinions.

Gather intelligence in your preferred method.

Consider all angles and points of view to arrive at the best possible solution.

If you work in audit or any other profession, challenge yourself:

Stop being a critic

Do not be too critical

And start becoming a critical thinker.

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