DEALING WITH CRITICISM
“criticism is a chemical reaction in a stranger's skull. it can't hurt you.”
The Lesson
A menu of techniques since we're all different. View from space: mentally float up until Earth is tiny. Your problem shrinks too. Deathbed perspective: will this matter decades from now? Simulation filter: treat life as a video game where problems are just the next level. Be good at something: then criticism of things you didn't try hard at doesn't sting. Critics don't know you: someone who knows 2% of you has worthless opinions. Cha-ching theory: criticism tells you how to make more money. It's free market research. Opinions are just chemical reactions in strangers' skulls. Embarrassment has no physical harm. Practice surviving embarrassment until it's just breathing. Every criticism toughens you. Don't leave it to chance. Run through these filters systematically.
Real-World Example
A founder gets harsh feedback on their product demo. Instead of spiraling, they run through the filters: View from space (this is one meeting on a tiny planet). Will it matter on deathbed? (No). Do these critics know the full vision? (They know 5%). Cha-ching: what specifically didn't they like? (The onboarding. Now they know what to fix). The embarrassment has no physical harm. They leave the meeting with actionable feedback and zero emotional damage.
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