Constructive criticism goes far beyond the crass insults so prevalent in today’s media. Here’s how to make the most of it.

by Bruce Weinstein, PhD

We live in an age where the line between criticism and nastiness has blurred. I’m not sure how this happened or when it began, but there are signs of it everywhere, especially on the Internet and in the media. The Internet offers anonymity, distance, and the ability to say pretty much whatever we want about people. Nastiness masked as criticism is a staple of television and radio, whether it’s Gordon Ramsay hurling invective at restaurant workers on his Kitchen Nightmares show, Simon Cowell coming up with ever more creative ways of informing American Idol contestants that they have no talent, or talk show hosts making snide comments about a politician’s appearance. Our appetite for seeing other people criticized appears to know no bounds. [Read more...]