--- title: How to Think About Your Critics | The Sales Blog description: It’s easier to be a critic than it is to be a creator. The critic has only to find fault. They believe that the value that they create is in tearing others down. In truth, the critic is so afraid of having their own work criticized that they can’t bring themselves to produce anything of […] image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Screen-Shot-2013-02-02-at-5_43_56-PM.png --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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The critic has only to find fault. They believe that the value that they create is in tearing others down. In truth, the critic is so afraid of having their own work criticized that they can’t bring themselves to produce anything of their own. So instead, they criticize. The critic hates what he sees in you. He hates that you have the audacity, the courage, the bravery to put yourself out there, to create, [to ship](http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/06/fear-of-shipping.html). Because he can’t bring himself to create, he hates you for being able to do what he himself cannot. But the critic still wants what you have. He wants to be thought of as a creator. He wants the audience. He wants the accolades. He wants the attention. And he will do or say anything to anything to get attention, mistakenly believing that all attention is good attention. You don’t owe the critic a response or reply. You don’t owe critic a defense of your creation. You don’t owe him your energy. His real struggle is not with you. His struggle is really with himself. There isn’t a single argument that you can make in defense of your work that will help the critic win the battle he is fighting with himself. Defending your work only feeds the critic, it doesn’t help him. **Pity the Troll** [Trolls](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2011/07/22/making-enemies-and-alienating-people-through-social-media/) leave a trail of negativity, criticism, and vitriol behind (especially here in the social web). They don’t understand that in their desperate attempt to be noticed, they’re gaining attention for something so negative that only their brother and sister trolls pay them any heed. Instead of winning friends and influencing people, they alienate the very audience whose attention it is they seek. Trolls don’t know that their is no real audience for trolls. They don’t recognize how others perceive them. The only response to trolls is to ignore them. Feeding trolls only gives them the false impression that what they’re doing by criticizing you is actually creating, that it adds value. It doesn’t. You create because you are a creator. If you create because you want to win over the trolls, you’re creating for the wrong reasons. You create for the people that appreciate your creation. You create for the people that find value in what you do. And unless you are a troll, trolls are not your audience. [Push the publish button](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2012/02/01/how-to-get-revenge-on-haters/). #### Questions Have you ever let your fear of the critic stop you from creating or publishing your work? Was your critic who you really had in mind at the birth of your creation? How should you feel about the fact that your work doesn’t resonate with people for whom it was never intended? The most important “block” button is not the one you can click on the web. It’s the one in your mind. Who do you have to be to press the real “block” button? ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2013](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2013) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on February 2, 2013 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2022-06-16T3:27:54 PM", "datePublished" : "2013-02-02 17:59:36", "description" : "It’s easier to be a critic than it is to be a creator. The critic has only to find fault. They believe that the value that they create is in tearing others down. 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