The Context
Each of us is subjected to the nonstop jabbering of other people’s unsolicited opinions, advice and feedback. We can’t avoid it any more than we can avoid the law of gravity. But unless we are properly boundaried, we will quickly become flustered, flattened, enraged. The opinions of others will erode our belief in our inherent worth and activate the sharp terror of a lost confidence in ourselves. It’s bad times.
The Tool
Feedback Filter
FEEDBACK FILTER -- A binary grounding question we ask ourselves to recalibrate and put criticism in perspective
Here are two examples that can be helpful. Is this mine, or is this theirs? Is this a pattern, or an isolated event? Because if somebody’s opinion, solicited or not, comes out of left field and doesn’t track for us in the slightest, then it’s most likely the latter on both accounts. It’s more of a projection than a perception. More of a misfired accusation than a meaningful appraisal. Which is fine. We let people be in love with their opinions, but we use our filter to keep from getting get entangled in their emotions.
The Rest
Remember, each of us chooses how much weight we grant people’s opinions. Let us not abandon our path simply because others have a problem with it. What binary filter helps you differentiate between constructive help and the feedback pinball machine?
The Benefits
Build confidence in your creative abilities
Quickly distinguish between perceptions and projections
Maintain your emotional center of gravity during high stress situations
Set healthy boundaries to keep from getting entangled in people’s feelings