“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
―Theodore Roosevelt
What a contrast.
The words of Statler/Waldorf and those of Roosevelt.
If you watched the Muppet Show as a kid, you may remember those sneering, cantankerous old guys, sitting in their elevated box seats week after week, pouring scorn on the acts taking to the stage below them to perform in front of a live audience. Laughing at their own acerbic critiques. Making themselves comfortable, whilst simultaneously making others uncomfortable. And in doing so, contributing absolutely nothing of value to the show taking place beneath them. Nothing whatsoever.
Despite the fact they are never impressed by anyones performance (except their own) they keep coming back repeatedly for reasons they can’t even explain themselves.
Having an opinion on any given subject and having the option to express those opinions however and wherever you choose is part of what freedom of speech is all about (there may be repercussions for doing this of course). I don’t have to agree with your opinions but you should be free to give them, even if I don’t agree with them. That works both ways.
I have respect for those who stick their heads above the parapet and make their voices and opinions heard, seen or read. Not hiding behind avatars, using fake names or masking who they really are. I understand that there are reasons why some would wish to remain anonymous, especially in this day and age. But setting that to the side for now, I’m referring to those that boldly enter the arena rather than those who perpetually remain on the sidelines. The miserable armchair critics. The Statlers. The Waldorfs. And by the way, entering the arena doesn’t mean doing some grand act on a large platform, in front of a big crowd or on medium that attracts a lot of attention. It’s any act that involves you moving outside your own comfort zone and putting yourself out there to attract the attention of the Waldorfs or Statlers of this world. And there are plenty of them. Everywhere.
Rarely will someone who is established or successful in any given field or area negatively critique those who are just beginning on the same path they too once trod as beginners, or after persistent effort are simply not getting the same breakthroughs or levels of exposure. Negativity and bile is almost universally directed upwards. Or put another way, from the armchair to the arena.
Fortunately we don’t have to expose ourselves to this type of feedback but sadly, many do, engaging with the toxic trolls and the nagging naysayers.
Mark Twain said “Never argue with a fool, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”
Think about that. Your time and energy are both finite, don’t waste either of them on fools. And you’ll know the fools. They aren’t those who disagree with you. But those who scorn and criticise from the sidelines with no history of success or achievement in the areas they are claiming to be experts in. You have to wonder why these people spend so much time and energy parroting on about what they don’t like, to the same people in the same places. Incessantly. My guess is that many of them simply hate to see others doing what they don’t have the backbone or drive to do themselves. Or a need for attention that they will only ever get through trolling. Otherwise, they would move on. The expression “don’t feed the trolls, starve them of attention” is a wise one. A simple concept yet one that many seem to find difficult to adhere to.
Constructive criticism on the other hand is to be welcomed and it’s arguably essential to improve and grow. It is detrimental to inhabit an echo chamber surrounded by those who incessantly praise; good for the ego in the short term but stifling growth in the long term. Learn to filter constructive criticism from toxic bile and it will benefit you endlessly in the long term. Encourage constructive criticism from those you respect especially. Those who have walked the walk before you not just talked the talk. Learn from their mistakes and experiences as you continue to make your own.
As a side note, I’m forcing myself to write more. If I’m writing, it takes me away from other BS elsewhere. I prefer talking. It’s easier for me to make a video clip and upload it. But rather than revert to the default preferred output medium, I’m typing more now. I want to make better use of this Substack platform and move off other social media outlets. I think there are great possibilities on here for content creation that for now anyway, seem to be unrestricted. Feel free to leave any suggestions for content type/preferences in the comments section and I’ll take them into consideration. On both this any subsequent posts.
As always, stay sane.
Rick.
Write on! You know how it is when you stick your head above the crowd, someone always wants to cut it off. I love quoting Mark Twain, but there's always someone who has to tell me, shame on you, don't you know he was part of the Illuminati or something. When you write, you just have to lay it out as bold as anything. It's always the best way.
Very fine piece of writing today Rick. Bravo. I look forward to more well crafted works. I know myself that it takes great effort to write well and convey one’s thoughts in a manner captivating enough to hold the reader’s attention. No easy task. Especially in today’s world of short clips and sound bites.