In this highly competitive society, it is difficult for individuals to succeed without cooperation with others. Learning to get along with colleagues, including how to deal with criticism from others, has become a necessity for every worker. This phenomenon triggers an interesting discussion: does the ability to accept criticism have anything to do with career success? As for me, people not good at taking criticism from others are unlikely to be successful. My reasons and examples are given below.
Firstly, one's refusal to accept criticism will make a negative mark in people's minds, isolating himself in a group. It is because people tend to prefer those who are modest and willing to admit mistakes and correct them. That is to say, a stubborn person who refuses to improve himself will gradually lose assistance and support from his colleagues. My friend Ben is a good case in point. He has changed jobs frequently and found it hard to settle down. Having known him for long, I can tell the reason why: he always has a backlash against criticism from others, and thus no one feels good to work with him.
In addition, criticism from others can stop one from going in the wrong direction. As a proverb goes, outsiders see most of the game, which means one cannot realize his or her own problems that are obvious to others. If we are criticized, it is a good opportunity for us to get rid of the shortcomings and become better persons. In contrast, escaping from criticism blindly makes things even worse. Let's imagine a dictatorial boss, who cracks down on different voices everywhere inside his company. He wants to manage the company all by his way, but this method will definitely accelerate its collapse.
Admittedly, I am denying the advantage of sticking to oneself and refusing to take criticism. For instance, one can fully carry out what he believes without being influenced by others. However, the person who always ignores others' criticism play a negative role in building an effective team as well as harmonious work environment. So sometimes we just need to sacrifice personal benefits for collective interests.
To recap, refusal to take criticism can put one in a tough spot at work. According to Chairman Mao, the builder of PRC, "Modesty make people progress while pride makes people lag behind." Accepting criticism from others is an expression of being modest, which is an important quality to help one achieve an incredible success with career.