It is easier to destroy than it is to create. It is easier to criticize than it is to compliment. This is the scourge of negativity. The existence of an imperfect world means there is always room for additional criticism.

To avoid falling prey to the trap of spiraling negativity, one must actively ignore reasons to criticize and actively seek out reasons to praise.

The critic appears knowledgeable by all outward appearances. Skillful critics seem to wield their powers like a scalpel, deftly separating organs from their host, exposing them as mere tissue. They may seem powerful in their ability to delve into things for which we ourselves are not knowledgeable, but what remains following their procedures is a lifeless patient. That which was once working - albeit imperfectly - now transformed into a decaying and irrelevant corpse.

Such people are not actually surgeons, though they may wear scrubs and a mask and speak intelligently regarding their purported field. They do not actually carry scalpels, they simply disguise their sledge hammers.

Critics disguised as experts are dangerous not because they lack knowledge, but because their knowledge only goes as far as disassembly. They are like a child who takes apart a watch and can describe how it works, and yet is unable to put it back into working order. Putting trust in the critic is an exercise in hope, for they do not reveal the extent of their constructive abilities.

The true masters are those who see all that is wrong and yet describe in great detail what is right. Light is their touch upon dysfunction, because they know from well-worn experience that curing the cancer might also kill the patient. They prioritize solving problems over establishing reputation.

I have an exercise I use at times when thinking critically about something: I disallow more than three criticisms without at least one compliment. I find it centering and mind-opening to counter-balance perceptions in this way. Problems that at first seem intractable become simpler, lighter, and less stressful. Sometimes it's just what I need to turn a bad day into a good day.

(footnote: A few weeks ago I portrayed engineering pessimism in a positive light. After writing today's essay I worried about the apparent contradiction. The distinction, for me, is the future versus the present. Defensive pessimism is about planning for the future. This essay was about our mental mindset in examining present circumstance.)