Monday, July 13, 2009

An Off-Shoot of Yesterday


Another evolution that has seemed to have taken place in our society over the last decade is how everyone is now an authority and to-be-respected critic of at least one thing or another.

Right along with the ability to make random accusations about people and the undying desire to tear down anything remotely positive, we're littered with pseudo-critics with little to no basis for giving advice or commentary.

I'm not Gil Grissom - I don't know absolutely everything about absolutely everything. I know a little about a lot and a lot about a select few things, like MMA, song lyrics, Pop Culture and maybe writing.

So, I feel qualified to discuss those things and give my opinions and critiques of them because I can back them up with sound reasoning and evidence.

That doesn't seem to be the case much anymore.

I hear from 462 critics who offer ways to improve my writing on sites like Bleacher Report everyday, only to remember that they're not critics, they're just people on the other side of a monitor who feel the need to feign superiority and knowledge over others.

One of the things I've been working on the most in my writing is avoiding confrontation in comments and debates. I used to get all fired up and just lose it and I'm trying better now.

So you can understand how much energy it takes when some random guy who I have never met or talked to before decides to call me by my last name (I hate that if we're not friends or we're not having attendance taken) and drops a couple "people like you" comments followed up by the always appreciated "you need to do this to make yourself better blah blah blah..."

I calmly asked him to keep the advice and guidance to himself until I could review his resume and see his journalistic qualifications.

Normally I'd have just called him "Slapnuts" and told him to fuck off.

Growth... I need it more than ever apparently because everyone is a critic and an unqualified expert.


2 comments:

Eric Kamander said...

I can tell you from experience that people's willingness to offer criticism has a lot more to do with them then you. I think you know what I mean there.

As one who is always game to deliver and receive criticism, if there was one peice of advice I could give you, its "keep doing what you're doing."

You, Mr. Kyte (can I call you Mr. Kyte?) have a lot of fans, and their numbers are growing every day.

I hope these bumps in the road are nothing more than that.

E. Spencer Kyte said...

Thanks E...

Not so much bumps in the road as I don't understand what compels people to do this.

You and I have a working relationship, in that I write for your site. Therefore, you have a basis for criticism and advice. Some dude I've never heard of... not so much.