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Travis Shelton Travis Shelton

5 Simple Steps to Avoid Criticism

After seeing the most recent of a long string of public criticisms of me and my work, a friend reached out and asked why I would continue to do things that result in criticism. After all, being ridiculed, demeaned, and ripped apart is never an enjoyable experience. I’ve thought a lot about this, and have come up with a simple 5-step plan to avoid criticism:

After seeing the most recent of a long string of public criticisms of me and my work, a friend reached out and asked why I would continue to do things that result in criticism. After all, being ridiculed, demeaned, and ripped apart is never an enjoyable experience. I’ve thought a lot about this, and have come up with a simple 5-step plan to avoid criticism:

  1. Always go along with the crowd. Be mindful of what most people are doing, and just endeavor to blend. That’s the first and best step to avoiding criticism. Never mind if what they are doing is the right thing. That doesn’t matter if you want to avoid criticism. When the cultural winds shift, eagerly and swiftly shift with them. Lock in and fit in.

  2. Keep your mouth shut and your hands idle. It’s hard for people to criticize you if you don’t say (or do) anything to merit criticizing. This step is simple but powerful. You can’t screw up or ruffle feathers if you’re quietly sitting on your hands. Do nothing, say nothing, be happy.

  3. Stop thinking of others. If you just live for yourself and act in your own self-interest, you’ll naturally avoid a lot of the risks associated with trying to help others. People won’t question your motives or your means, and you’ll have a much more peaceful day-to-day life. This is the easiest tip to follow.

  4. Don’t bring new ideas to the table. Things have always been done a certain way, so that’s definitely how they should be done. Do not question, do not challenge, and do not seek a better way. The status quo is A-Okay.

  5. Don’t tap into your unique gifts. Sure, you probably possess a unique set of skills and gifts. Things that seem easy to you, much to the bewilderment of many around you. Skills that help you thrive in various areas of life, while other people struggle with them. These are awesome and powerful things, but just push them down. You don’t want to look like you’re showing out or showing off, so keep it to yourself. People can’t ridicule what they don’t know exists.

There you have it, folks. 5 simple steps to avoid criticism. If you follow this helpful advice, you will probably avoid 90% of all criticism in life. Or……….you can go make an impact. The criticism you’ll surely receive isn’t fun, but it’s the entry price to doing something that matters.

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