HOW TO HANDLE
Criticism
by Mella Barnes
I
freely admit: I am terrible at handling criticism. I hide it well. I stand there with a fake, zoned-out smile on my face, pretend to understand, then go home and cry and spend the rest of the day hating my existence. 46 | Eydis Magazine
I even go a step further: I criticize myself before I take criticism, imagining what the critiques will be. I think of all the terrible things they’ll say, and let them sink in. I call this “preparing for the inevitable,” but in reality, it’s “terrible
insecurity combined with a wide variety of personality issues.” I’m bringing myself down based on imaginary criticism. Things people haven’t even said, might never say, I say them to myself in order to be prepared if they are ever said. If you’re