Feedback Thoughts

Receiving feedback is one of the easiest, most direct ways to learn and improve in virtually all areas of life. The difficult part is being open to this feedback. 

According to a New York Times article by Tim Herrera, harsh negative feedback causes physiological and neurological consequences: shortness of breath and inability to process certain information. These physical reactions seem concrete and hard to overcome at first, but by framing feedback in a growth mindset context, they can be. 

In order to actually desire feedback, one has to believe that criticism is there to help them. By thinking about how mistakes can lead to learning, discovery, or "good art," as Neil Gaiman puts it, opening oneself to criticism and risk-taking seems easier. The article emphasizes how areas of life from work to family to art to love will never be perfect for anyone, so it's foolish to believe that criticism is a knock on one's abilities. Instead, it's an opportunity to improve.

I also like other pieces of advice Gaiman gave in his commencement address: saying no to high-status, lucrative opportunities that don't serve one's primary purpose, and mimicking others on the path to finding one's own voice.

One final thought is that confidence and self-esteem are necessary to view feedback in a positive light. If one has a negative view of themselves, confirmation bias may cause them to be on the lookout for hurtful, negative information about themselves. On the other hand, if someone has a positive self-image, negative feedback on their performance will not affect their view of themselves, but will cause them to want to improve specific behaviors. 

Feedback bulletin board from Giulia Forsythe on Flickr.