Posted June 11th, 2003 @ 06:41pm by Erik J. Barzeski
Question: What's the toughest thing you've ever had to learn?
My Answer: That people, even though they say they can, really can't deal with honesty.
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Posted 14 Jun 2003 at 7:54pm #
I think thats wrong, I believe that people can deal with honesty when presented to them properly.
Constructive criticism can be used to present the same thing as bashing someone, one will lead to one result and the other one will usually lead to a very different result.
Posted 14 Jun 2003 at 8:08pm #
There's no such thing as constructive criticism.
Posted 14 Jun 2003 at 10:26pm #
Billy Joel said it best, "Honesty is such a lonely word /Everyone is so untrue / Honesty is hardly ever heard / And mostly what I need from you".
I agree with Erik, you sure can give constructive criticism but no one is willing to take it constructively.
Posted 14 Jun 2003 at 11:45pm #
I think I am too young and innocent, for lack of better words, to believe that. I still have faith in the intelligence and humanity of people.
Not meant in a bad way.
Posted 14 Jun 2003 at 11:51pm #
Bitter bunch here. Of course there is constructive critism. Do you get offended every time someone gives you a suggestion?
Posted 14 Jun 2003 at 11:55pm #
Perhaps gullable is a better word?
Posted 15 Jun 2003 at 12:40am #
A "suggestion" is not criticism. There is no such thing as "constructive" "criticism."
Posted 15 Jun 2003 at 4:46am #
1. Quantum Physics: tough but fun.
2. Analog IC design: less tough, but a lot less fun.
Posted 15 Jun 2003 at 1:57pm #
It depends on your definition of criticism.
Posted 15 Jun 2003 at 2:02pm #
Jeff: no, it doesn't.
Posted 15 Jun 2003 at 3:40pm #
In my opinion, if the person is willing to accept the criticism and work on fixing the problem, then it is constructive criticism.
Posted 15 Jun 2003 at 3:42pm #
There's no such thing as constructive criticism. Whether or not the person is willing is irrelevant.
Posted 15 Jun 2003 at 10:28pm #
Would you be willing to expand on your reasoning, Erik?
Posted 15 Jun 2003 at 10:35pm #
Criticism is critical. I don't have to expand on my "reasoning" - the dictionary does it for me. If you want to make a suggestion, go ahead - it's a world away from being critical.
Nobody's "critical" in a constructive fashion. "Criticism" is negative. Negativity is not constructive. Yes, someone of a certain mentality can take a negative and use it as a means of motivation, but the original criticism is still critical, negative, and far from "constructive."
Posted 16 Jun 2003 at 12:59am #
Constructive criticism is negative feedback, which is the most constructive kind of feedback. By "constructive" I mean "promoting improvement".
Posted 16 Jun 2003 at 1:01am #
David, you're wrong too, and you're really not up on your learning theory, are you? Negative feedback? That's not constructive.
Posted 16 Jun 2003 at 10:29am #
Here is a perfect example of how I found (find?) "constructive criticism" helpful.
When I started on my new weblog layout, people told me to try different color schemes, the yellow I wanted didn't work. I gave in and didn't use yellow in my design and found myself loving the new color scheme.
Is that not constructive criticism? I guess it depends on how you define the term. To me, it is. People told me that the yellow looked bad, I listened, and they were right.
Posted 16 Jun 2003 at 10:34am #
That's not a proper example. They didn't criticize, most likely, they suggested. Suggestions are a world healthier than criticism.
Posted 27 Aug 2005 at 6:44pm #
Erik's right. I'm currently writing a paper on the subject, and if you look at a dictionary, "constructive" and "criticism" put together make an oxymoron. Trust me, it doesn't work.