How to Shut Down a Critic

The world is chock-full of critics.  Negative, skeptical doubting humans are everywhere.  They're vocal and aggressive.  They feed on negativity and drama.

So, if you take that to be true, that the world most certainly IS chock full of critics, then you ought to know how to shut down a critic when you face one.

If you go for ANYTHING in your life (in or out of business), you're going to be met with critics, naysayers, doubters…even haters.

Leave the Flock and Expect the Sheep to Talk About it

When you leave the flock that are comfortable with the status quo, the way things are…the orderly way the flock is meant to stay…you'll stick out as “different”, “outside of the norm”, and when perceived as such, you'll have people that LOVE to speak up about it.

The world is full of negative people.   Some of them simply can't help themselves.  They have to open their mouth.  It's in their nature.  They must speak up.  They doubt everything and are bursting at the seams to say something.  They love to tell you about what they think about you and this new-fangled thing you're pursuing.

Get used to it.  They're everywhere.  They're eager to give you their opinions about what you're doing with your life.

YES…They love to give you THEIR opinion about what THEY THINK about what you're doing with your life.

Seems pathetic almost, doesn't it?  Why should they care so much about what we're doing?  They've got their life.  I've got mine.  What do they have to be so down and out about what I'm doing?  Can't they just mind their own business?

How to Shut Down a Critic

#1:  Do What you Say you're Going to Do.  The fastest and easiest way to shut down a critic is to do what you say you're doing.  They're doubting your ability to succeed in network marketing, then go forth and succeed in it.

Some of them WILL shut up.  Their voices will be silenced by your production, your results.  You DID what you said you were going to do.  “Crap!  I feel bad about what I said to him before”, says the critic inside their own head…too guilty even to say it to your face.

The simple answer is you go do it.  That's how you shut down a critic.  You go do what they're doubting and put it right in their face. The sweet revenge of massive, in your face success is so tasty sometimes.

The Future You:  “You said I couldn't?  Well…here you go.  In your face.  I did it.  Take that!”

That feels good.  But, does it quiet the critic?  Some of them it does.  Some will be silenced.  Others never stop, even AFTER you've succeeded.

They say things like, “You're lucky.”  “You got in at the right time.”
Or worse, they even come back with “I knew you could do it all along!”

For those, you quickly learn about selective hearing, the delete and ban button, and the simple separation and distancing from them.  You can't hear a voice that's on the other side of the world.  If someone can't seem to shut it, simply walk away and find someone else to invest your time with your life.  The critic has shown their true colors.

#2:  Don't Fan the Fire.  When you have someone super negative who literally has it out for you and will stop at almost nothing to put you down and do their best to denigrate you, don't fight back.  Walk.

Doubters, naysayers and critics are bullies by nature.  It's simply a different word.  A doubter is a bully, a naysayer is a bully, and a critic is a bully.

Don't ever feed the flames of negativity.  They WANT you to react, to respond, to show emotion over it.  When you don't, you're starving what feeds them.  They will eventually go away and find another victim…someone who doesn't know better, and chooses to react to their bullying.

I've had big time haters in my career as a speaker.  I've had people attack me online and say really mean things about me, things that weren't true.  They were complete lies.  I could have, and certainly wanted to fight back and defend my honor, knowing the truth…but I chose to turn my head and walk away.

They're waiting for you to respond.  When you don't, they have nothing to eat and eventually wither away.

Do what you said you were going to do.  Create space between you and your haters.  Turn yourself off to them completely.   They no longer exist.