Humility – Taryn Was Here

For me, constructive criticism can be a bitter pill to swallow. I fully understand that it’s meant to help make you better. Though I suppose I don’t like to admit that I need direction from time to time. During my time working as a freelance writer, I’ve been fortunate to find steady work so quickly. This also means that I haven’t had to face any real rejection or critiquing of my work. That being said I got my first taste of constructive criticism today and it took me a bit to come to terms with. I did however take the time to fully digest what they had said and despite my ego being in a tiff, I agree with their feedback. To give you a better understanding here’s my take on how I logically perceived the feedback and how my ego took it.

Logic:

Their points make total sense. It was more of a puff piece than actual research. I’ll dig a little deeper and present an article that is based on the research. Also I appreciate the fact they’re giving me the opportunity to redo the article rather than go with someone else.

Ego:

Well that’s stupid, the article wasn’t that bad. Sure I didn’t put in the legwork, but I’m awesome and I don’t have to. I don’t need to change my ways and I’m just gonna watch Duck Dynasty instead.

My mind works in weird ways lol. Fortunately for me, I’m going to side with logic on this one and redo the article. I tend to run through things rather quickly instead of making sure I’ve done my due diligence. . Because of my lack of experience/coping with constructive criticism it got me thinking about my generation in its entirety. I don’t like to speculate on people in masses, though I do wonder, are millenials equipped to handle rejection/criticism? I’ve been racking my brain and I can’t remember too many instances in which I’ve been a recipient of either. Also, I know in the past I haven’t always dealt well with criticism, no matter how constructive.This was a good lesson on the art of humility for me.

I’m also learning to keep my ego in check and fully understand why constructive criticism is so important. Sure it doesn’t always feel good, but in reality I gained more knowledge and understanding of the expectations of my assignment. Now I’m off to go do some research. 🙂

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Maintaining relationships be it familial, friendly, or love related, is tough business! You have to be able to check your egos at the door and really put some effort into it if you want them to succeed. I will admit that I have a pretty big ego; after all if your peers keep telling you “how mature” you are, chances are you’ll start believing the hype. You can kind of say that I became the Justin Bieber of maturity (I.E. so high off my own hype that I act like I’m 5). On a side note, can you really blame the kid? A society that pretty much made him a deity before his balls dropped, and now we have the audacity to point and say he’s entitled? I guess everyone thought that through… Anyway back to my ridiculousness.

Today, I’ve learned that I need to dig deep and go to uncomfortable places to learn and grow among people. Far too quickly, I tend to cut people off and move on before the nitty gritty substance of how humans sustain meaningful connections come into play. The lesson that I learned today is that though I thought I was the epitome of awesomeness at communication and how things are supposed to be worked out, I still have some work to do. Therein lies the problem when one (in this case I) believes that they have learned all there is to know on what makes coexisting with others harmonious. Living/existing with others takes work and the ability to keep growing through experiences. The takeaway is that we never stop learning. The moment we think we know it all is the day we’re not evolving within our relationships. Stay inquisitive, my friends!

Taryn Was Here

Tag: Humility

Constructive Criticism is a Necessary Evil

Growing Up is Hard to Do