How to Handle Criticism: 7 Tips From MasterClass Instructors

Criticism is any form of critical feedback—positive or negative—appraising a person’s character, aptitude for certain skill sets, or creative output. It can serve as both a useful tool and a damaging weapon.

Although your first reaction to criticism might be to internalize the negative aspects or discard it out of hand, you can use negative and positive feedback to boost your self-worth and improve your abilities over time. So long as you keep a discerning yet open mind, you can learn how to distinguish the people who use criticism to help you from those who use it to hurt you.

There are many different types of criticism in terms of both their focus and their style of delivery. Here are just three of the most common to consider:

1. 1. Constructive criticism: When someone gives you constructive feedback, they frame their critiques in a positive way. Constructive criticism helps build a person up, realistically yet kindly looking at their strengths and weaknesses and offering ways to further improve in good faith. Beginners at any task require constructive criticism from more qualified teachers to eventually become intermediate and advanced practitioners themselves.
2. 2. Destructive criticism: If someone only offers feedback in the form of demeaning personal attacks, they’re offering both unhelpful and destructive criticism. At best, criticism of this ilk indicates the person offering it needs to work on their communication skills. At worst, it proves they’re a mean-spirited bully. Even if destructive criticism contains a grain of truth, it’s best to discard it. Seek out someone who will offer constructive criticism instead.
3. 3. Negative criticism: A person might offer negative comments without the intention to be destructive or cruel. Negative criticism might have a place, but it leaves the person criticized unable to see ways to approve. Suppose you see a team member who could potentially improve their personal level of assertiveness. If you only tell them they have a less-than-confident tone of voice while speaking, you’re merely offering negative feedback. If you help them learn how to be more confident and assertive at the same time, you’re now offering constructive criticism.

Learning how to deal with criticism is never easy, but it’s an essential skill if you want to become the best version of yourself. Consider these tips from MasterClass instructors as you learn how to handle criticism:

1. 1. Be open to learning. When you’re open to learning from other people, it can drastically improve both your personal and career development paths. If someone has constructive criticism to offer, practice active listening to discern the parts with which you agree or disagree. Ask follow-up questions about their criticism and begin a conversation. “It’s amazing how liberating it is to welcome criticism,” former United States President Bill Clinton explains, “to say, ‘If you find something I'm doing wrong, tell me and we'll fix it. And if I can't fix it, we'll get somebody else here who can.’”
2. 2. Consider the source. Think about who’s offering you the criticism you’re hearing at any given time. “Sometimes your critics can be your best friends,” former United States presidential nominee Hillary Clinton says. “They may say something or write something that you actually can learn from. So you don't want to ignore criticism from legitimate sources.” Suppose you work at a startup. An envious coworker who wants your job might offer biased and destructive criticism, whereas the startup founder might be able to offer you more objective and helpful criticism about how to improve your work for the company.
3. 3. Discard toxic criticism. Truly destructive and toxic criticism creates a negative environment where it’s nearly impossible to improve. “I think that a tool you'll learn over time [is] that you can pick and choose what you take in,” principal ballet dancer Misty Copeland says. “If you are too vulnerable in a way that you're letting negative energy in, that can be bad. Or if you're too defensive about receiving feedback. I think it's about finding a balance.” If toxic people offer you only attacks instead of constructive feedback, take a deep breath and move on to hear from more helpful advisors.
4. 4. Mind your mental health. Even if a person offers negative feedback in the most constructive way possible, it can still have a major impact on your mental health and self-confidence. “You can’t take yourself or criticism that seriously. You can’t give it energy,” singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera says. “Or else it will eat you alive, and for what?” Set boundaries and give yourself space when you see fit.
5. 5. Realize your worth. Receiving feedback and hearing critical comments you might find upsetting can feel demoralizing. “I definitely went through a really difficult time where I started to believe people's words,” Copeland says, “that, you know, I wasn't right, I wasn't good enough.” Even highly successful people find it difficult to move past harsh critiques. If criticism has you feeling low, remember it still has no effect on your essential worth and dignity as a human being.
6. 6. Recognize the positives. When you receive criticism, it means someone else recognized a way you could improve. While you might not want someone else to see your mistakes, their constructive criticism could provide you with the steps necessary to become better than ever before. “I've never had a book come out worse after revision,” Goosebumps author R.L. Stine says. “They always come out better.”
7. 7. Seek out constructive criticism. As Bill Clinton says, “The admission of error or living with the consequences of it—as long as you were going in the right direction—is the quickest way to keep making progress.” If you can find reliable advisors who’ll always offer constructive criticism, make it a point to consider their points of view. This can prove a major key to self-improvement.

All you need is a MasterClass Annual Membership and our exclusive video lessons from the likes of Elaine Welteroth (the former editor in chief of Teen Vogue and host of CBS’ The Talk), Issa Rae (the powerhouse multihyphenate behind HBO’s Insecure), Robin Arzón (the lawyer-turned-head instructor of Peloton), and other luminaries who have have embraced the twists and turns on the path to professional success. With their guidance, you’ll learn how to lean into your strengths, follow your heart, and build the career of your dreams.