Dipo Olowookere
By Nneka Okumazie
Criticisms are sometimes confusing. Except in a few cases, criticisms are often hard to place.
There are more criticisms in the world, inspired by assumption, hate, bitterness, envy, wickedness, ignorance, unknown intentions, etc. than pure clear useful criticisms.
Criticisms are so associated with negativity. It is difficult to call them constructive.
Maybe the word should be correction. Maybe it should be adjustment, improvement suggestion, update understanding or another thought, but using the word criticism is incinerating.
Criticisms are inevitable, but the entire world has yet to grasp it.
Everyone gives it, everyone gets it, but there are imbalances on how it is dished and consumed.
The world is shaped by criticism and everyone has it in mind, doing almost anything.
Some are scared of criticism. They become pretentious, or hypocritical. Some conform. Some use the playbook of discrediting critics to continue their horror.
Some use criticism as a weapon of attack. Some live off it. Some ignore. Some are triggered by it. Some feel criticisms are unfair. Some see criticism as disloyalty. Some categorize all criticisms as hate. Some use criticism to fuel support.
But what should justify criticism? What knowledge, understanding, experience, position or time should qualify a good criticism? What should be the rules? What should be the boundaries? What permissions should be taken? Should criticism be private or public? Who should regulate it? How should weight be given to criticisms because of unknown mind and behavioural situations?
How should joy or reward be stripped from vicious critics? How is it possible to influence criticism against bad stuff, without bias, but amplify support for good stuff? How is it possible to not give in to fear of criticism when on a convincingly good path? How can people be built to love criticism?
There are so many things driving this unfair world that makes it difficult to place criticism.
Everyone, at some point, criticized what they don’t know – before they knew better. In this world, there are known unknowns and unknown unknowns.
There are so many things people know they don’t know. There are things too that people don’t even know they don’t know. But often times, everyone speaks or acts reflexively in disagreement or dissatisfaction to something else.
Criticism is one of the natural tendencies of the mind and behaviour. Criticism is one of those problems technology has been unable to solve, in spite of advances.
Just like negativity, hate, envy, bitterness, wickedness, greed, deceit, evil, lust, pride, desperation, destructive anger, criticism is a defect.
Those often critical of everything have a super problem. They forget that nothing is perfect and no one is, and that things have a future to improve. Using criticism as power against others is a deficiency of mind and behaviour.
There is no limit to what people criticize. There is sometimes no purpose, no benefit, but they criticize and want to ruin things for others.
Yes, some never like to find answers from the scriptures, but there are warnings for devout Christians to not be that negative person, or the critical one, or judgmental.
It is to resist. Resist criticism. Resist negativity. Resist bitterness. Abstain from evil. Flee lust, etc.
Criticism is close to anger and anger fuels anger. Some ambitions were fuelled by pain or anger from criticism.
Critics are often static. They mostly add nothing valuable. Criticisms are the cheapest source of power for many. Criticism can be used to drive fear. Criticism is a tool for intimidation, doubt and discouragement.
Some also criticize the Lord God. They forget that God is a spirit and that God is supreme sovereign.
Criticisms are a reminder that hope must not be placed in anything that can be taken away or anything that can change. Hope must be firm and strong.
Hope is a shield from several kinds of challenges.
Teenagers should also be taught on how to handle direct and indirect criticisms. The power of critics is criticism. Criticism is mostly logic. But, logic is weak.
[Luke 23:39, And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on Him, saying, If thou be Christ, save Thyself and us.]
