Sunday Thought, January 25, 2015: Criticism

crit·i·cize

ˈkridəˌsīz/

verb

1. 1.

   indicate the faults of (someone or something) in a disapproving way.

   "states criticized the failure to provide an adequate and permanent compensation"

   synonyms:

   find fault with, censure, denounce, condemn, attack, lambaste, pillory,rail against, inveigh against, arraign, cast aspersions on, pour scorn on, disparage, denigrate, give bad press to, run down; More
2. 2.

   form and express a sophisticated judgment of (a literary or artistic work).

   "a literary text may be criticized on two grounds: the semantic and the expressive"
3. Google Definition

Have you ever considered the definition of "criticize?"  Take a moment and read it over.

We all do it, criticize, and the majority of us excuse it by falling back on definition number two, when we're so very guilty of definition number one.  Okay, the majority of us that are being honest will admit we do it for this reason.  The rest of us delude ourselves into thinking we're taking some imaginary "high road" by being judgmental asses and fall back on the kinder, gentler, second definition.  But let's consider the two distinct parts of this second definition - "form and express," and "sophisticated judgment."  Those who know me know where I'm going with this, as it isn't nuclear physics.

Most of us can't form or express any sort of meaningful thought.  I blame this, regularly, on our poor educational system.  Nowadays, if we somehow manage to get a cogent thought out of our pie hole, it is rife with "colorful metaphors," the expletives we feel are necessary due to our inability to communicate intelligently.

Spock: Your use of language has altered since our arrival. It is currently laced with, shall we say, more colorful metaphors, "double dumb-ass on you" and so forth.
Kirk: Oh, you mean the profanity?
Spock: Yes.
Kirk: Well that's simply the way they talk here. Nobody pays any attention to you unless you swear every other word.

-- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

I run into this quite often in comments to things people post, not necessarily the cursing as much as the inability to communicate intelligently.  I have failed at this, myself, even though I have strived to be more tolerant.  This intolerance usually materializes when I get into pissing matches with sacks of hammers.  It especially grinds on me when the sack of hammers is a person I consider to be intelligent.  I keep forgetting that a sheepskin, or three, from an institution of higher learning is no guarantee of having any sense.  I have met few folks with doctorates that make any sense when it comes to life, politics, or faith.  It doesn't mean they aren't out there, I just haven't run across them or their ego keeps that degree so "in my face" that I don't recognize them.  I think there comes a point when you have to get over yourself.  What it seems to indicate is,  whether you're rich or poor, educated or not, we all have the same human failings just as we all have the same ability to overcome  them.

“I haven't any right to criticize books, and I don't do it except when I hate them. I often want to criticize Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can't conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin. Every time I read Pride and Prejudice I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone.” 

-- Mark Twain

I've noticed two things about people that are critical, since I've had my blog and been posting online; their comments are either paragraphs long or one line with no support.  If it takes you more than a paragraph to criticize, you are trying too hard to explain your critique.  That's like having to explain a joke, when the joke just wasn't any good to begin with.  On the other hand, if it takes less than a good sentence you probably don't have a leg to stand on and probably shouldn't have jumped into the fray.  I run into this when someone critiques my post and I find out they don't post much, or not at all.  In other words, they're quick to critique but don't have the big brass ones to put their own opinions out there for the world to see.  This is like the drama critic that gets stage fright.  Those that can, do.  And those that can't, critique.  We do this, or we run into this, all the time.

"Those that can't do, teach.  And those who can't teach, teach gym."

-- Woody Allen, "Annie Hall": screenplay 

As far as "sophisticated judgment," any good scientist knows, whether good or bad, validity comes with repeatable results.  The most recent example of poor judgment can be seen in painting all of Islam with the terrorist label.  "Well, he's a Muslim!  Of course he's a terrorist!"  And the reasoning for the condemnation would be quotes from the Qur'an used as support when there are just as many quotes that contradict them, kind of like these same people do with the Bible.  Sophisticated judgment would dictate we look at both sides of an issue, talk to all of those involved, educate ourselves in the subject, and actually sound like something other than a hate mongering bigot or a braying jackass.  

We may, in time, find out Muslims are all terrorists bent on world domination, contrary to their scripture.  But, we shouldn't condemn them all until we know for sure.  It is just bad form.  But, not taking the low road seems to require being something more than human.  Many of us just can't wrap our minds around being something better than what we are.  Where Christians are concerned, many ask the question, but few can actually act on, "What would Jesus do?"  I suppose that would be contingent on how you interpret the Bible.

If you must be critical, be constructive.  For the love of God, please don't try to be creative.  Don't look for reasons to critique.  I hate it when someone asks me to critique something because I might like it at first glance and then find a reason not to when I start to delve deeper.  It's the same reason I try not to look at the ingredients on the bag of Oreos or Cheetos.  I just really don't need to know anything more than I like it.

“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body; it calls attention to the development of an unhealthy state of things. If it is heeded in time, danger may be averted; if it is suppressed, a fatal distemper may develop."

-- Winston Churchill

There are times when you need to dig deeper whether you want to or not; politics, religion, and law all come to mind. Of course these would be the three taboo subjects for any friendly "debate," primarily because the criticism can be emotionally charged because everyone thinks they're right. These are the times we all need to agree to disagree. These subjects deserve some degree of emotion but, at the end of the day, you all need to shake hands and understand whatever may have been said in the spirit of the first definition of criticism, may have been laced with a bit more emotion than was needed. In this spirit of debate we all can come back to the table down the road for another round and keep the lines of communication open, and constructive.

Of course, I could be wrong in all this.  But, then, maybe I'm just too critical. 

“Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.” 

-- Dale Carnegie (1888-1955), "How to Win Friends and Influence People"

Note from Pastor Tony, the founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance, as well as the author and editor of "The Path," the Congregation's official blogsite:  

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion.  It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other.  An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human.  God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor