Opposite of critics

CRITIC Synonyms: 53 Synonyms & Antonyms for CRITIC

See definition of critic on Dictionary.com

nounanalyst, interpreter
nounfaultfinder, detractor

synonyms for critic

authority
cartoonist
commentator
expert
judge
pundit
reviewer
analyzer
annotator
arbiter
caricaturist
connoisseur
evaluator
expositor
sharpshooter
diagnostic

antonyms for critic

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amateur

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How to use critic in a sentence

For example, the UK-based digital health company Babylon Health came under fire in 2018 for announcing that its diagnostic chatbot was “on par with human doctors,” on the basis of a test that critics argued was misleading.

NEW STANDARDS FOR AI CLINICAL TRIALS WILL HELP SPOT SNAKE OIL AND HYPEWILL HEAVENSEPTEMBER 11, 2020MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW

Lam has responded to the testing scheme’s critics, accusing experts who oppose the effort of “smearing” Beijing in an attempt to “sever Hong Kong’s relations with the central government.”

HONG KONG’S CITYWIDE COVID-19 TESTING HAS BECOME A BAROMETER OF PUBLIC TRUSTEAMONBARRETTSEPTEMBER 9, 2020FORTUNE

For a long time, critics of pure deep-learning approaches, such as Gary Marcus, have been calling for exactly the sort of hybrid approaches NDTT represents.

DISCO, BELL BOTTOMS, BIG HAIR…AND CUTTING-EDGE A.I.?JEREMY KAHNSEPTEMBER 8, 2020FORTUNE

Critics of the regulationMedia analyst Ben Thompson points out media mogul Rupert Murdoch owns most of the Australian press and has been the platforms’ biggest critic.

STATE OF PLAY: WHERE THE BATTLE WITH GOOGLE AND FACEBOOK TO PAY FOR NEWS IS HOTTESTLUCINDA SOUTHERNSEPTEMBER 7, 2020DIGIDAY

I am but a film critic, so I won’t pretend to understand or fully explain the entire history of the Sator square here.

THE ANCIENT PALINDROME THAT EXPLAINS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN’S TENETALISSA WILKINSONSEPTEMBER 4, 2020VOX

Fueling the resentment of such criticism is the perception that some well-off critics are untouched by the high levels of violence in the neighborhoods that the officers spend a lot of their time patrolling.

WHAT CAN MAYORS DO WHEN THE POLICE STOP DOING THEIR JOBS?BY ALEC MACGILLISSEPTEMBER 3, 2020PROPUBLICA

Four months and a business lifetime ago, critics were poking holes in the newfound success of videoconferencing upstart Zoom Video Communications.

ZOOM IS ON FIREADAM LASHINSKYSEPTEMBER 1, 2020FORTUNE

I’m a big critic of those rhinos that we’ve got serving as well.

FULL TRANSCRIPT: TOMI LAHREN ON ‘THE CARLOS WATSON SHOW’DANIEL MALLOYAUGUST 31, 2020OZY

While the new CPEC Authority would still report directly to Khan, it would have wide-ranging autonomy to implement its infrastructure program without civilian government oversight, critics say.

PAKISTAN’S MILITARY PLOTS TAKEOVER OF MARQUEE CHINA PROJECTCHARU KASTURIAUGUST 31, 2020OZY

Netflix’s The Crown caught the eye of critics and audiences alike when its first season premiered in 2016.

HOW NETFLIX’S ‘THE CROWN’ ACHIEVES ITS LOOK—EVEN AS EACH SEASON EVOLVESRADMARYAAUGUST 29, 2020FORTUNE

WORDS RELATED TO CRITIC

connoisseur
critic
expert
insider
judge
specialist

analyst
annotator
announcer
correspondent
critic
expositor
interpreter
observer
pundit
reviewer
sportscaster
writer

aesthete
aficionado
appreciator
arbiter
bon vivant
buff
cognoscente
critic
devotee
dilettante
epicure
expert
fan
freak
gourmet
judge
maven
nut
one into
savant
specialist

analytical
belittling
biting
calumniatory

captious
carping
caviling
cavillous
censorious
censuring
choleric
condemning
critic
cutting
cynical
demanding
demeaning
derogatory
diagnostic
disapproving
discerning
discriminating
disparaging
exacting
exceptive
finicky
fussy
hairsplitting
humbling
hypercritical
lowering
nagging
niggling
nit-picking
overcritical
particular
penetrating
reproachful
sarcastic
satirical
scolding
severe
sharp
trenchant
withering

bellyacher
complainer
critic
faultfinder
griper
grumbler
moaner
sissy
softy
whiner
wimp
wuss

censor
critic
defamer
depreciator

58 Synonyms of CRITIC | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus

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critic

See Dictionary Definition

as in criticizer

a person given to harsh judgments and to finding faults the president's hard-core critics are going to attack him no matter what he does

criticizer
faultfinder
nitpicker
carper
censurer
knocker
detractor
disparager
hypercritic
castigator
niggler
caviler
denouncer
condemner
caviller
attacker
quibbler
ranter
scold
complainer
assailant
admonisher
derider
denigrator
decrier
reprover
belittler
crybaby
pettifogger
criticaster
grumbler
condemnor
railer
whiner
haranguer
griper
crucifier
upbraider
reproacher
rebuker
grouch
grouser
hairsplitter
fusser
bellyacher

praiser
commender

praiser
commender

as in reviewer

a person who makes or expresses a judgment on the quality of offerings in some field of endeavor the restaurant critic said that the fries at that fast-food outlet were the worst she'd ever eaten

reviewer
analyst
observer
columnist
commentator
pundit
evaluator
annotator
appraiser
referee
judge

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Criticism: what is it, how to criticize and perceive criticism correctly

. We deal with psychologists

Updated on October 28, 2022, 09:48

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From the point of view of human development, criticism is an important element of communication that allows us to see and correct our mistakes, and therefore become better. However, almost no one likes to be criticized. The reason is that the line between good and bad criticism is very thin, it is quite easy to cross it. Often this is due to excessive emotions or personal dislike. But sometimes even the value judgments of others without any negative connotation can hurt. How to learn to criticize others correctly and to easily perceive sometimes not the most pleasant opinions from the outside? RBC Life offers an impartial look at the situation through the eyes of psychologists.

Content

What is it
Types of criticism
How to perceive
How to criticize

What is criticism

Criticism is a tool that allows you to evaluate and analyze any phenomena from various areas of life. From the point of view of science, criticism is twofold: in its simplest form, it is either good or bad. For example, you can criticize from resentment, in order to hurt the opponent personally, or, conversely, to motivate a person to correct mistakes and improve himself.

Emotional reactions to criticism also differ [1]. Some people are offended, angry and hold a grudge for many years, others easily accept judgments addressed to them or do not notice them at all. The difference in perception depends on many things [2].

Type of criticism. It can be criticism that inspires or, on the contrary, humiliates and ridicules failures.
Experience. The more often a person experiences negative emotions, the more painfully he experiences each new episode. For example, if a child had very demanding parents, they may be vulnerable to negative feedback later on.
Relations. Depending on who criticizes, the reaction to what is said may vary. Mom, spouse, boss or subordinate - criticism from each of them will have its own power.
Individuality. Each person has his own character and psychological characteristics. Self-confident people respond more easily to criticism, but may shift the blame to others. More sensitive and emotional, on the contrary, experience more and tend to judge themselves too harshly in response to what is said. Some people almost do not react to criticism, at the same time, it is important for them to find out why there is an opinion about them and how it can be changed.

And these are not all factors. Moreover, the same person will perceive criticism differently depending on the context and situation. However, we all need constructive self-correction, and other people can help us with this. For example, the corporate culture actively uses the feedback method. On the one hand, this is the same criticism, that is, a person can be told something unpleasant or point out shortcomings, but there are differences. Feedback is always focused on the desired action, future-oriented, and focused on strengths rather than weaknesses.

Maria RazlogovaClinical psychologist at the Rassvet Clinic

“The problem is that often criticism does not refer to specific behavior - “you are doing it wrong now”, but to the person as a whole - “you are clumsy, lazy, mediocrity ...”. Such assessments do not help, but, on the contrary, reduce motivation. Useful criticism reflects not only mistakes, but also strengths. It is built on the principle of a sandwich: find something to praise - point out the problem - praise again.

Types of criticism

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The balance of constructive and destructive criticism is important for a person

Criticism is diverse and largely depends on the angle at which you look at it. According to Elena Fiveyskaya, psychologist and coach at GMS Clinic, criticism can be divided into the following types.

By effect: beneficial, destructive or mixed, which contains a useful argument, but supported by some misinformation. It is often found in philistine reviews.
In the form of presentation: explicit, with an open discussion of the minuses, as well as implicit, with a skeptical assessment.
In the form of expression: remark, claim, objection, accusation or dissatisfaction.
Self-criticism: an inner voice that condemns and compares against you.

In addition, they distinguish factual criticism, moral, aesthetic, logical, religious, liberal and others [3]. But most often you can hear about constructive and destructive criticism. They can both point to flaws and errors, but with important differences.

Constructive criticism

Constructive criticism is a way to provide useful feedback. It includes practical suggestions and focuses on a specific issue, rather than assessing the whole situation and the person personally. However, it can contain both positive and negative comments. But in general terms, it will be clear, concrete and effective. In teamwork, constructive criticism can increase motivation, improve work in general, and help achieve results.

The main features of constructive criticism:

Intention: motivation, helping a person to improve his work.
Areas: focuses on the shortcomings of the work.
Action: offers a solution to the problem and suggestions to improve the situation.

An example of constructive criticism: “I noticed that lately mistakes in your work have become frequent. If I've put too much on you, let me know so I can change the load. Glad to talk about it."

Destructive criticism

Destructive criticism is a kind of feedback in which the object is not the action, but the person himself. Such judgments, as opposed to constructive ones, do not improve the situation and do not help motivate the interlocutor or subordinate. Often destructive criticism is used to attack in case of personal dislike and is aimed at lowering someone's self-esteem. It is not of practical use and is perceived as excessive pickiness. In a work environment or at home, this is not the best tool to inspire employees or loved ones.

Main features of destructive criticism:

Intention: to harm, offend, offend.
Area: is focused on the person, not on his work.
Action: offers no solutions.

An example of destructive criticism: “There are mistakes in your report again. You're just not made for the job."

Elena FiveyskayaLeading specialist, psychologist, coach GMS Clinic

“If there were only such types of criticism as dissatisfaction or claims, I would be inclined towards the absence of its positive influence on the development of mankind. But if we are talking about such a form as an objection, remark, claim, this is an opportunity for growth. The remark does not sound very pleasant, but noticing an error or inaccuracy is the path to improvement. Through the claim, we can achieve an exchange and improvement of the work as a whole. This allows you to develop social communication skills. But in order to broadcast positive criticism, we need a resource. If it is not there, then it is easy to slip into discontent and accusations.”

How to Handle Criticism Painlessly

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Don't rush to respond to criticism right away. Give yourself time to analyze and understand what your interlocutor wants

It is impossible to completely avoid criticism from superiors or relatives, but there are ways to take it painlessly and respond correctly to comments. On the advice of psychologist Maria Razlogova, the following recommendations can be followed.

1. Take a break

If you feel hurt by someone's comment, take a break. Mentally count to ten, take a few deep slow breaths and exhalations. It is normal during a personal conversation to ask for a pause from the interlocutor to think about what is happening. If you manage to let go of a spontaneous impulsive reaction, you are already well done.

2. Analyze what was said

When you have calmed down, you can analyze the received message. Remind yourself that this is only an estimate of another person who may be wrong, inaccurate, or generally distort reality to their advantage. Try to separate the wheat from the chaff and mentally formulate what you agree with the interlocutor and what you don’t. Think about the goals of your interlocutor.

Perhaps he did not want to offend you at all, but tried to help, albeit clumsily. If you haven't asked your interlocutor for feedback and received unsolicited advice, ask them not to do that again. If a person wants to help you, it makes sense to do so only with your permission or at your request.

3. Try to understand the essence and benefit

Perhaps the criticism came from a person who, due to his role in your life, must sometimes criticize you. For example, when it comes to a boss or a teacher. In this case, treat this feedback as a function within a business or study relationship. Try to extract from the criticism the content that can help you and discuss those aspects of it with which you disagree.

4. Don't be afraid to speak

If what you said hurt you, you can tell the other person about it. This will help to regulate your state, because voicing experiences reduces their intensity. In addition, it will help to establish emotional contact and mutual understanding, which can be important when talking with loved ones.

5. Improve yourself

If it is very difficult for you to accept criticism and you experience constant problems in connection with this, it makes sense to discuss this with a psychologist. You may need to learn emotion regulation skills or make changes to your social circle.

How to properly criticize

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Constructive criticism of others and yourself is a skill to learn

Most people tend to perceive personal criticism as something negative, although this is not always the case. It's not easy to criticize without being offended.

On the advice of coach Elena Fiveyskaya, in order for criticism to be as effective as possible, it is worth following some important rules.

1. Listen to yourself

Before criticizing a person, decide what you want: to help another become better or to throw out your negative feelings. In the latter case, according to the expert, it is better to work with yourself and what is behind it - envy, internal dissatisfaction, an attempt to assert yourself.

2. Direct to action

Directing criticism at the person's actions rather than the person's personality: for example, saying not that the person is stupid, but that their work lacks scientific evidence. The most important thing to remember is that constructive criticism should be a dialogue between two people, not a monologue. You don't always know all the details that influenced a person's decisions or actions.

3. Show respect

Treat the criticized with respect, from the position of "adult-adult", that is, on an equal footing. Resist the temptation to go into the position of a "parent" (even if it is kind) and do it from top to bottom, for example, in a pointing and instructive tone.

4. Rate feedback

Assess the readiness and desire of the criticized for feedback. If he is not open to discussion, even the most constructive criticism can be unpleasant and affect his mood. In addition, any criticism should be timely. But this does not mean that it is necessary to point out an error at the moment when it has already occurred. Instead, it is about drawing the person's attention to the problem while they still have time to fix or prevent it.

5.

Do not criticize in public

Do not drive yourself into a formal framework. For example, a conversation can be built in a relaxed atmosphere or you can call an employee for a face-to-face conversation. You also need to give the person the opportunity to explain why he did something this way and not otherwise. For his part, the one who criticizes must be sure that he really wants to understand the point of view of his interlocutor.

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how to defeat the ruthless inner tyrant — T&P

Criticism of self-criticism: how to defeat the merciless inner tyrant — T&P

Self-criticism is often accompanied by anger and self-hatred, offers no solutions, and simplifies our understanding of the world. But a person has long learned to enjoy every portion of dissatisfaction with himself, writes the British psychoanalyst Adam Phillips in his essay "Against Self-Criticism", a review of which is published on the BrainPickings.

org website. "Theories and Practices" retold its essence.

According to Phillips, the masochistic need for self-criticism arises from the ambivalence that is defining in our lives. He recalls Freud's legacy:

“In Freud's mind, we are primarily dual animals: we love while we hate, and we hate while loving. If someone can satisfy us, he can also disappoint us. We criticize when we are upset and praise when we are happy, and vice versa. Ambivalence in Freud does not imply a mixture of feelings, it means the opposite of feelings.

Love and hate are such simple and familiar words, which, however, always mean a little different from what we would like to say - this is a common source, elementary feelings through which we comprehend the world. They are interdependent - one is impossible without the other - and they explain each other. How we hate is determined by how we love, and vice versa. And these feelings are present in everything we do, they regulate everything. According to Freud, we are dual in everything we deal with; with the help of this ambivalence, we understand that someone or something has become really important to us. Where there is strong attachment, there is disagreement; where there is trust, there is suspicion."

It is impossible to imagine a life in which we spend most of our time criticizing ourselves and others. But we understand the principle of self-criticism so well that, by inertia, we are suspicious of the possibility of an alternative.

Phillips writes:

“Self-criticism, I myself as a critic of myself, is the essence of our idea of ourselves.

Nothing makes us more critical, more confused, more incredulous, or more appalled than the idea that we must destroy this ruthless criticism. But we should at least value it less. Or, in the end, overcome it.

This self-critic in us is completely unimaginative, Phillips notes. This is a ruthless accuser with a huge repertoire of tirades that, to an outside observer, look both funny and tragic at the same time.

“If we met this inner accuser in society, we would think that something was wrong with him. He would only be bored and angry. We would think that something terrible must have happened to him, that he survived the catastrophe. And we would be right."

Freud called the inner critic the superego. Phillips believes that we suffer from the Stockholm syndrome of this superego:

“We are constantly, even unconsciously, transforming our character. This inner cruelty is so persistent that we do not even know what we would be without it. In fact, we know nothing about ourselves because we judge ourselves before we have a chance to see ourselves. Or we judge only by our ability to judge. What cannot be judged cannot be seen. What happens to all that cannot be approved or not approved, to all things that we were not taught to judge? The judge of himself can judge himself, but cannot recognize himself. We think it's hard not to resist, not to overcome anything. This is part of the internal tyranny - small, but loudly declaring itself.

The tyranny of the superego, Phillips explains, stems from its tendency to reduce our complex consciousness to a single, limited interpretation and present it as an authentic reality. But we agree with the interpretation given to us by the superego, we believe that this representation is correct.

“Understanding what matters—dreams, neurotic symptoms, literature—is possible only as a result of hyperinterpretation, seeing them from different points of view as the result of many impulses. Hyperinterpretation in this case is not reduced to one interpretation, no matter how interesting it may be. Moreover, it can be said - and this is the starting point for Freud, or the duality of psychoanalysis - that the more convincing, versatile and authoritative an interpretation is, the less credible it deserves. Interpretation can be a cruel attempt to draw a line where no line can be drawn.”

Phillips does not propose a complete rejection of interpretation, but "psychological hygiene" - the attraction of a variety of interpretations that can be opposed to the artificial authority of the superego.

He shows the cowardice of self-criticism on the example of Hamlet, this "genius of self-study":

"In the first quarto of Hamlet it is said: "Thus consciousness makes us all cowards. " In the second quarto, it says: “Consciousness creates cowards.” If consciousness makes us all cowards, then we are in the same boat, so it is. If consciousness simply creates cowards, we can wonder what else it could create. Consciousness creates us, it is the creator, if not of itself, then of everything that surrounds it. It is the eternal artist... The superego... treats us as characters: it tells us who we really are. It claims to know us like no one else, including ourselves. And it is omniscient: it behaves as if it can predict the future, as if it knows the circumstances of our actions.”

Phillips brings us to the superego's arbitrary standards:

"The superego is the sole interpreter... It tells us what we should consider true about ourselves. Self-criticism is thus a permitted pleasure. We seem to enjoy the way she makes us suffer, and we take it for granted that every day brings a vital dose of dissatisfaction with ourselves. That every day we fail to be as good as we could be. ”

Surrendering to self-criticism, Phillips warns, our consciousness acts cowardly:

“Consciousness is a part of our mind that makes us lose this mind. This is a moralist who prevents us from using our own, more complex and subtle morality and in the course of the experiment to find out what are the limits of our existence. Consciousness makes us all cowards because it is itself cowardly. We believe in him, we identify ourselves with this condemning and forbidding part of us, and this domineering part itself turns out to be a coward.”

Phillips writes:

“How is it that we are so enamored with self-hatred, so gullible in self-criticism so direct? And why does it look like a trial without a jury? Juries still present consensus as an alternative to autocracy... We must distinguish between the useful sense of responsibility for actions taken and the tricks of self-contempt... This does not mean that no one is ever blameworthy. This means that guilt is always more complicated than it seems, it is always beyond interpretation.

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Opposite of critics

CRITIC Synonyms: 53 Synonyms & Antonyms for CRITIC

antonyms for critic

TRY USING critic

How to use critic in a sentence

WORDS RELATED TO CRITIC

58 Synonyms of CRITIC | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus

Thesaurus Entries Near

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on

solace

Criticism: what is it, how to criticize and perceive criticism correctly

What is criticism

Types of criticism

Constructive criticism

Destructive criticism

How to Handle Criticism Painlessly

1. Take a break

2. Analyze what was said

3. Try to understand the essence and benefit

4. Don't be afraid to speak

5. Improve yourself

How to properly criticize

1. Listen to yourself

2. Direct to action

3. Show respect

4. Rate feedback

5.

how to defeat the ruthless inner tyrant — T&P