quick update from melbourne…
when i wrote the post about ‘constructive and destructive criticism’ it had nothing to do with criticism that i might have received in the media.
really.
this post was exclusively about negative criticism that people might receive from other people who are close to them.
i don’t see negative criticism of me or of my work as being cruel or unhealthy, it’s just negative journalistic criticism. it’s obvious to me that if a complete stranger tells me ‘you suck and your music sucks’* it’s not going to hurt or be destructive. whereas having a parent or loved one say the same thing over and over again is going to hurt incredibly and be extremely destructive.
luckily i was brought up in a very un-critical environment. but my heart goes out to people who’ve had to endure (or continue to endure) the hurtful and negative criticism of people who they are close to.
that’s it.
thanks for letting me clarify my update.
moby
*-this little fake quote reminds me of the simpsons where homer gets very, very drunk and says to some man:
‘you stink, your whole operation stinks’
and the man says
‘i keep trying to tell you, i don’t know you, our wives are friends’