Criticism

The expression of disapproval of someone or something on the basis of

perceived faults or mistakes. It is the construction of a judgement about the
negative qualities of someone or something. Criticism can range from
impromptu comments to a written detailed response. Criticism falls into
several overlapping types including "theoretical, practical, impressionistic,
affective, prescriptive, or descriptive

Types:

1. Aesthetic criticism
2. Logical criticism
3. Factual criticism
4. Positive criticism
5. Negative criticism
6. Constructive criticism
7. Practical criticism
8. Scientific criticism
9. Religious criticism
10.Self criticism

1) Aesthetic criticism is a part of aesthetics concerned with critically

judging beauty and ugliness, tastefulness and tastelessness, style
and fashion, meaning and quality of design. Most parts of human
life have an aesthetic dimension, which means there is plenty
potential for criticism. Often architecture criticism is considered the
highest form of aesthetic criticism, because architecture combines
art, science and technology to build a pleasing home environment, a
"living space" that people must inhabit every day, more or less
permanently.
2) Logical criticism is rooted in the basic cognitive principles that guide
the behaviour of humans and other sentient organisms:
stimulus identification, stimulus distinction, and
stimulus generalization. The Greek philosopher Aristotle stated the
most basic building blocks of logic as the law of identity, the law of
non-contradiction and the law of the excluded middle. These are
basic conditions for making meaningful sense, and for non-arbitrary
representation. It is an objection is raised about an idea, argument,
 action or situation on the ground that it does not make rational
sense
3) Factual criticism is generally considered important to ensure the
consistency, authenticity and predictability of behaviour of any kind.
Without the presence of the relevant consistency, authenticity and
predictability, one cannot make appropriate sense of behaviour,
which becomes disorienting and creates confusion, and therefore
cannot guide behavioural choices effectively.
4) Positive criticism draws attention to a good or positive aspect of
something that is being ignored or disregarded. People may be able
to see only the negative side of something, so that it becomes
necessary to highlight the positive side. A positive criticism may also
be a type of self-justification or self-defence.
5) Negative criticism means voicing an objection to something, only
with the purpose of showing that it is wrong, false, mistaken,
nonsensical, objectionable, or disreputable. Generally, it suggests
disapproval of something, or disagreement with something. It
emphasizes the downsides of something. Negative criticism is also
often interpreted as an attack against a person. That may not have
been the intention, but it can be interpreted that way.
6) Constructive criticism aims to show that an intent or purpose of
something is better served by an alternative approach. In this case,
making the criticism is not necessarily deemed wrong, and its
purpose is respected; rather, it is claimed that the same goal could
be better achieved via a different route. Constructive criticisms are
often suggestions for improvement, how things could be done
better or more acceptably. They draw attention to how an identified
problem could be solved, or how it could be solved better.
Constructive criticism is more likely accepted if the criticism is
timely, clear, specific, detailed and actionable.
7) Practical criticism is an objection or appraisal of the type, that
something "does or does not work" in practical reality, due to some
reason or cause. The focus is on useful effect. Often people say,
"That might be fine in theory, but in practice it does not work."
Inversely, they might show with experiment that something works
well in practice, even although the theory says this is not possible,
so that the theory ought to be adjusted.
8) Scientific criticism is not primarily concerned with moral values, but
more with quantitative or categorical values. It focuses on whether
an idea can be proven true or false, or what the limits of its valid
 application are, quite irrespective of whether people like that or not,
or what the moral implications are. For this purpose, the scientist
employs logic and relevant evidence offered by experience, as well
as experimentation, and gives attention to the intent and purpose of
relevant activity.
9) Religious criticism is primarily concerned with judging actions and
ideas according to whether god would regard them as good or bad
for human beings normally a religion has some sacred or holy texts,
which serve as an authoritative guide to interpreting actions and
ideas as either good or bad. From these, religious authorities derive
norms for how people ought to live and act in the world.
10) Self-criticism refers to the ability to appraise the pros and cons of
one's own beliefs, thoughts, actions, behaviour or results, especially
from the point of view of how others might regard them. The self-
criticism might occur in private, or it might happen in a group
discussion. Sometimes the self-criticism is aired publicly, specifically
to show people that a person or group no longer believes in
something which it formerly done. The self-criticism remains a
hidden secret behind closed doors.
Improving self-awareness

Self-awareness is an important skill that we can cultivate to help us progress

on our personal development journey, and we could all use a little more of it
sometimes. In our stressful, modern lives, it’s easy to react passively to our
environment and fracture opportunities to connect. Possessing emotional
intelligence and regulating our emotions should be some of the most valued
skills; self-awareness is the cornerstone of that intelligence.

Ways to Improve self-awareness

1. Take time to meditate

Meditation is a form of concentration meant to heighten awareness. Usually,
people meditate in a quiet, calm environment. Meditation might involve
clearing your mind and then asking yourself a series of questions like "What
are my goals?" and "What do I hope to achieve?" Regular meditation can help
you achieve an awareness of your own emotional state and help clear your
thinking.
2. Write down your goals
If you achieve some clarity regarding your goals, take the time to write them
down. Sometimes people have so many tasks and responsibilities that it can
become overwhelming. Making a list of your responsibilities and long-term
goals can help you focus your energies. Writing down your goals can also help
provide some direction to your life. When someone works every day to take
care of their daily responsibilities, it can sometimes become challenging to
remain focused on your long-term goals and what is most important to you.
3. Get feedback at work
Although the first two steps focus on you looking inward, getting feedback
from others can help you understand how others perceive your actions. If you
receive regular feedback from people at work, it can help you understand
whether your view of your performance matches the view of others. Also,
sometimes feedback relates to how you interact with others.
4. Talk to your friends
Your friends are your friends because they know you the best. They can
provide insight into your past behaviour. If you have been too hard on yourself,
your friends can tell you that. If you tend to put others first, even if it means
sacrificing your own needs, your friends can point it out to you. Ask your
friends to evaluate you honestly and accept their comments constructively.
5. Keep a diary
A diary can help you develop a keen sense of self-awareness. Perhaps you
made a decision that didn't turn out as you hoped. By keeping a diary, you can
go back and review your thoughts and feelings at the time you made the
decision. The act of keeping the diary itself can provide a level of clarity to your
thinking. Articulate your feelings and thoughts and think through why you feel
about something the way you do. Also, a journal can help you identify your
strengths and weaknesses. By writing down your experience, you think about
how you feel about situations and how you react to them.
Related: 20 Areas of Improvement for Employees
6. Create a life timeline
A timeline is one way for you to visualize where you'd like your life to go and
when you'd like it to get there. The timeline can help provide some structure
to the process of increasing self-awareness. You understand your goals and a
timeline can help clarify what is most important to you. The timeline can also
help you stay focused on the most important goals you've set for yourself in
your life.
7. Be objective
Throughout this process, try to be true to yourself. It's natural to rationalize
things, but sometimes you have to be honest with yourself. Whether it's a
professional situation or a personal one, taking stock of who you are and
taking responsibility for your behaviour is a key element of self-awareness.
Related: How To Write a Self-Assessment
8. Accept yourself
Understanding who you are and accepting it is important to achieve self-
awareness. For example, perhaps you are not the most outgoing person. That
is not a negative characteristic, but it's something to understand about
yourself. Rather than trying to be someone who socially engages in every
situation, accept the fact that it doesn't come naturally. Regardless of your
personality traits, if you're comfortable with who you are, others might be too.