5 inappropriate ways to respond to criticism

Others, however, respond to criticism in ways that makes them look really, really bad.

The ramifications of these silly mistakes can be extensive and far-reaching.

I’ve pulled some parallel reactions from fictional characters to illustrate my point.

1. “Last I checked, Theoden, not Aragorn, was King of Rohan.” ~ King Theoden. Some people respond to criticism (constructive though it may be) in a fashion akin to this king. In non-Tolkienesque language, one might say, “This is my house, yo.” This really doesn’t have a positive effect on spectators of the conversation. Chest pumping is something you often see on nature shows about chimpanzees. Surely we can do better?

2. “Or did you think I wouldn’t know what a Eugoogaly was?” ~ Zoolander. Zoolander is trying to say the word “eulogy” but of course he doesn’t really know what the word means. Sometimes, in response to criticism, people will attempt to make a come-back only to reveal further they really don’t know what they’re talking about. This can convince people who previously thought well of you that maybe they chose the wrong team.