“When you ask for feedback, choose your advisors wisely. We commonly make one of two mistakes when we seek feedback: We either ask everyone for advice about one problem or we ask one person for advice about all of our problems. If you ask too broadly, you’ll get fifty-seven different options and will be overwhelmed, confused, and lost. On the other hand, if you drop all your dilemmas on one person, then they’ll be overwhelmed, unequipped, and at some point tired of carrying your baggage.”
Jay Shetty, via Think Like A Monk (Page 192)
“’Do you want to know what I think?’ The best answer might be, ‘no.’ Because this person is not very good at offering useful feedback. Because you didn’t create this product or service or performance to please this person. They’re not the customer. Because you’re not going to revise this any time soon. The movie is made, and specific feedback isn’t going to get the movie remade. Just because criticism is on offer doesn’t mean you have to seek it out or even listen to it.”
Seth Godin
“If you stay too long in the imagination phase, what you create will tend to be grandiose and detached from reality. If you only listen to feedback and try to make the work a complete reflection of what others tell you or want, the work will be conventional and flat. By maintaining a continual dialogue between reality (feedback) and your imagination, you will create something practical and powerful.”
Robert Greene, The Daily Laws (Page 401)
“Keep ignoring feedback and life will keep teaching you the same lesson.”
James Clear, Blog
“Being praised essentially means that one is receiving judgment from another person as ‘good.’ And the measure of what is good or bad about that act is that person’s yardstick. If receiving praise is what one is after, one will have no choice but to adapt to that person’s yardstick and put the brakes on one’s own freedom.”
Ichiro Kishimi, The Courage To Be Disliked
“Criticizing is easy and fast. Creating is difficult and slow. The two hours you spent on a book or movie usually took two years to produce. Anyone can tear down someone else’s work. The true test of insight is whether you can help them improve it or build something of your own.”
Adam Grant, Twitter
“If your comment is helpful to anyone else, than it’s generous indeed. Holding back is selfish, because it deprives the group of your insight at the same time that it normalizes non-participation. If you’re wondering, so is someone else.”
Seth Godin, Blog
“Outside input is great, even necessary. It’s smart to receive feedback. But once you’ve heard all the opinions, there comes a point when you have to make your own choice.”
Alicia Keys, More Myself (Page 239)
NF Quote from “Remember This” on Success and How There’s Always Hate At Each Step of the Way
These people gon’ tell you that you will never make it /
Then when you do, they gon’ say they knew you were goin’ places /
That’s just how it works, next thing you know you’ll be overrated /
Hearing people say they miss the “old you,” it’s crazy, ain’t it?
NF, Remember This
Beyond the Quote (293/365)
It doesn’t matter where you are in life, there will always be noise that’s trying to take you away from where you are. When you’re first starting out, of course you’re not great. Who is? In fact, you probably suck. Like, you’re probably really awful. Especially compared to all of the greats that you’re probably comparing yourself to. So, of course you’re going to have people around you saying you will “never make it.” That you should probably quit and stick to something more “commonplace.” Or that you will never be as good as that person or this person. The noise when you first start out is real and it can stop you in your tracks before you ever even start.
Read More »NF Quote from “Remember This” on Success and How There’s Always Hate At Each Step of the Way“We tend to be on guard against negativity, against the people who are discouraging us from pursuing our callings or doubting the visions we have for ourselves. This is certainly an obstacle to beware of, though dealing with it is rather simple. What we cultivate less is how to protect ourselves against the validation and gratification that will quickly come our way if we show promise. What we don’t protect ourselves against are people and things that make us feel good – or rather, too good. We must prepare for pride and kill it early – or it will kill what we aspire to. We must be on guard against that wild self-confidence and self-obsession.” ~ Ryan Holiday, Ego is the Enemy
“The art of taking feedback is such a crucial skill in life, particularly harsh and critical feedback. We not only need to take this harsh feedback, but actively solicit it, labor to seek out the negative precisely when our friends and family and brain are telling us that we’re doing great. The ego avoids such feedback at all costs, however. Who wants to remand themselves to remedial training? It thinks it already knows how and who we are – that is, it thinks we are spectacular, perfect, genius, truly innovative. It dislikes reality and prefers its own assessment.” ~ Ryan Holiday, Ego is the Enemy
“Do not be critics, you people, I beg you. I was a critic and I wish I could take it all back because it came from a smelly and ignorant place in me, and spoke with a voice that was all rage and envy. Do not dismiss a book until you have written one, and do not dismiss a movie until you have made one, and do not dismiss a person until you have met them. It is a f@*$%load of work to be open-minded and generous and understanding and forgiving and accepting, but Christ, that is what matters. What matters is saying yes.” ~ Dave Eggers, via Blog of Jonathan Fields
“I think many people believe the best way they can help others is to criticize them, to give them the benefit of their ‘wisdom.’ I disagree. The best way to help people is to see the best in them.” ~ John C. Maxwell, Today Matters
“Feedback often tells you more about the person who is giving it than about you.” ~ Stephen M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust
“One bad review doesn’t ruin my day because I realize what a badge of honor it is to get a bit of criticism at all.” ~ Seth Godin, Tribes