"Oh no you di'n't!"

Is criticism ever a good thing?

I have never been a fan of the term "constructive criticism". Criticism is criticism, and when you're on the receiving end of it, it usually hurts. Like being hen-pecked by a thousand tiny chickens or being pruned in your moer-in like a bonsai tree with no root space.

However, I do appreciate what Olabode Anise says about the topic on the website Tiny Buddha today. There are quite a few poignant statements he makes about the subject in his article: Constructive criticism is a sign of your potential.

One of my favourites:

It is so easy to internalize everything someone tells you, and that is perhaps the biggest mistake that could be made. At that point, what someone has said is holding more weight than what you believe about yourself. No one’s words should ever be so powerful that you begin to doubt who you believe you are as a person.

And just for fun, here's a link to Urban Dictionary's take on the phrase:

"Oh No You Didn't!"

:-)