Hazen Christensen

Everyone’s a critic. Do They really know what they are talking about? Are they credible? Are they an expert?

Throughout your life, you have undoubtedly experienced others opinions. Well unless you have lived under a rock out in the wild of course. The truth is that everyone has an opinion. They will offer their advice whether you want them or not. You must ask yourself a few questions. What do they really know? Are they a credible source?

Before you take advice, make sure the people you take advice from actually know what they are talking about? Check them out. Do you own research on the topic. Because people want to sound knowledgeable and to avoid looking stupid, they will often spout out answers and opinions even if they know absolutely nothing about the topic at hand. Remember it’s just an opinion based on THEIR experiences (which who knows what that is!). Are they giving you quality advice, or something they overheard from their aunt Susie’s friend, who said something related to the topic, that they overheard, in the barbershop while getting their hair done? Did they read it off of some website?
Ask Yourself: Do they have all of the information to make a real decision or to truly have a real opinion? To give a quality answer? Have they personally experienced that situation? What did they do the same or different?

“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 and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, 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 he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” –Roosevelt.