About Critique

[dukealien]

Having little to add on this topic, quick repost from thread "Why Crit Works:"

Was just reading an essay on open-source (computer) programming and a, maybe, profound insight popped out:

"With enough eyes, every bug is shallow."

Translated from programmerese, what the writer meant is that when there's a problem (bug) in a program (text), it can be very deep (hard to disentangle from the rest of the code (poem)) or even find for the lone programmer (writer).  However, with enough user/programmer (reader/poet) eyes on the code, one set (or several) will  not only discover the problem but present an elegant and functional solution which also addresses all its deep-rooted (in the rest of the code/poem) ramifications.

Another way to say this is, "I'm smarter than you are, and you're smarter than I am."  That is, my poem may be genius, but your solution to a weakness I didn't even see is genius, too, even if we don't think we're at the same level of skill.

So that's why crit works, even if it seems snide or shallow.

Speaking for myself, tolerating criticism isn't a natural part of my real nature, but maintainig that character on this board might accidentally bend said nature in that direction.  Quite aside from the pragmatic benefits suggested above.  As for helping others... well, if the effect were reliable (which it's not) it would be no more than command-control; since it's not, beneficial effects are a surprise, better than expected - which is one definition of happiness.  And don't forget gratitude:  if you fake that often enough, it gradually becomes sincere .