CRITIQUING THE CRITIC

Do you remember your mother saying "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"?

Along the line, society seems to have lost the spirit of this remark. We are constantly looking to critics to advise us whether we should like a painting, a restaurant, a show, a book. We read reviews voraciously and will make decisions based on what others have said. I have seen good restaurants go under, great TV shows get canceled, etc. I have also seen things that from my perspective are highly questionable gain prominence (e.g. is Blurred Lines -- listen to the lyrics, not just the happy beat)

Critics and so-called aficionados sway public opinion, and their influence is significant. I am currently reading Malcolm Gladwell's book "David and Goliath" (which is a very good read by the way) and he talks about how the art world almost scuttled the Impressionist era because the art critics thought they paintings were amateurish.

There is nothing bad about being informed, whether reading Tripadvisor, Urbanspoon, or product reviews on a retailers website. But remember that people who have had a bad experience are exponentially more likely to let everyone know. The positive experience people tend to just be happy and move on without telling anyone.

When it comes to hiring someone, you can get five stellar references and one that is not.  Or somehow  someone comes to you and says they heard from someone that this person is not all they are cracked up to be and  warn you away from them. 

I have had this situation with someone I was looking to hire, so I called this person in and said "Look, we had great references except for one and this is what was said. Do you have an explanation why someone would say this about you?" The individual was surprised, and gave a credible explanation. I hired him and he was an amazing member of the team.

So whether it is a movie, an artist, a product/service or someone you are considering hiring, take the critics opinions with the proverbial "grain of salt." It is one person's opinion and they may have a vested interest in providing disparaging comments.