EACH one of us has the tendency to complain, but to criticize habitually and irrationally is just another story. They say voicing out one’s opinion is a fundamental right, but I guess people should consider whether or not they’re offending other people. Why then do people continue to complain and criticize others even if it hurts people around them? What is chronic criticizing?

Based on my experience and on what I have read, chronic complainers or criticizers attack people to compensate for their experiences of betrayal, frustration, and mistrust unconsciously. For me, they are those who live unhappy lives for they continuously desire for people to be non-productive. And so, they are less appreciative of people’s achievements especially of those who do not agree with their opinions. It is easier for them to see other’s inadequacies but never of their weaknesses. They strongly criticize rules but cannot even follow simple guidelines. They always shout for the need for change but cannot even begin to change for themselves.

There is certainly a big difference between exercising openness and criticizing. Openness or frankness is helpful especially when people need to understand the truth. This is like helping people clean the lenses of their hearts, to see the condition of their souls, and cultivate bravery to change for the better.

Indeed, openness is a way of healing one’s soul while constant criticizing is like planting seeds of hatred into one’s soul. So, why don’t we speak words to appreciate, empower, and inspire others, rather than criticize, condemn, or complain? And I guess, the easiest way to silence our deadly critics, is to prove irrelevance to what they talk about us.