Criticism inhales. I was going to use the word "sucks" for "inhales," but you may have taken that the wrong way... hence, my point.
So I'll stick with "criticism inhales." It actually communicates the point with a better word picture.
Unless, of course, you disagree. Feel free to critique that (and prove the point even further).
Criticism inhales... because when you inhale, you take in whatever is in front of you in order to process it internally, silently keep what is worth hanging onto and publicly exhale what you don't want to hang onto.
Think about it.
Consider Tom Clancy's spin on criticism as added commentary:
"No matter what you or anyone else does, there will be someone who says that there's something bad about it. Whenever somebody comes up with a good idea, there's somebody else who has never had a good idea in his life who stands up and says, 'Oh, you can't do that...'"
– Interview with Inc., 1995I've seen this almost my entire life among friends or in meetings. Someone brave enough to share something out loud is immediately critiqued for it. If the creator asks the critic, "How about you give me an original idea of your own?" the response is often back-peddling.
Because, let's face it - it's easier to inhale than it is to inspire.
(Once again, feel free to substitute the word "suck" for "inhale" in the previous sentence.)
One more thing...
before you go thinking this has everything to do with your critics...
I'd encourage you to consider how it applies to you being an inhaler yourself.
Yes, you.
P.S. Isn't it odd how often we ask people to just inhale us for who we are, not at all considering what we're asking them to inhale?
