Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Making Mistakes and Pointing Out Those of Others

I often make mistakes, in this and other forums, but don't really stress much about it. I do tend to go back and reread things before posting something new. Often I will find something that I missed while rushing to get something out. At this point in my life, I now believe that putting something out there and inviting feedback is better than endlessly trying to perfect something and never sharing it with the world.

And if I should miss something significant, one of my closest friends will tactfully suggest that I go back and take a closer look. Knowing that she feels confident enough to say that is important. I know I can count on her to speak the truth. Trusting that she's not afraid to tell me that I've made a mistake is valuable to me. But that's very different than the person who automatically seems compelled to point out your shortcomings. That's just annoying and after a while alienating. This is different. Being Critical Friends with another is valuable to both parties. But the role requires having an implied invitation as well as a high level of mutual trust and respect.

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