People Will Laugh At You- Criticism in Business & Life

Based on the headline I’ve given this post….what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you read “people will laugh at you?”

Getting laughed at for making a mistake? (ex: singing out of tune, giving the wrong answer)

Embarrassing yourself in front of others/in public? (ex: forgetting your speech, telling a bad joke)

……..it becomes ingrained in most of us & actually holds most back from succeeding in various areas of their lives (school, business, hobbies).

Here’s an example:

Tracy is a secretary at a corporate company (isn’t super passionate about being one). She’s always aspired to open up her own dessert shop, but she’s scared that people might not like her pastry’s & that it may not work. So she opts not to start one, therefore missing out completely on the potential opportunity at hand.

Why doesn’t she start one on the side to start? She has nothing to lose

The above is a simple (and silly) example, but it’s quite common.

I guarantee there have been countless times within the past month alone where even YOU opted not to do something….because you were afraid people (or someone) would laugh at you.

Maybe you have a strong opinion on a political topic, but hold it to yourself because someone might criticize or laugh at you.

Maybe you want to try a new presentation style in a meeting, but stick to your same old boring routine so no one scoffs at you.

Maybe you even have the random urge to lay down for 10 seconds on the floor at Starbucks, but don’t because some stranger you don’t know may laugh at you (try this one…….it’s funny & totally worth it).

***The point I’m trying to get across to you is that criticism & getting laughed at is a natural part of the road to getting where you want to go.

The best-selling authors of today got laughed out of publishers offices when they were starting out in the careers.

The great stand up comedians of today once got booed off stage.

The best company owners of today were once laughed at for their silly business idea.

Each of these people kept working on their craft for years……while ignoring the nay-sayers.

You too will get criticized/laughed at just as they have.

The way you handle it will ultimately determine your level of success in your endeavors.

It’s imperative you understand “constructive criticism” vs “criticism you should ignore.”

When people give you constructive criticism, you may be able to learn something valuable and apply it.

On the other hand, Debbie downers & haters should ALWAYS be ignored (they will never like you- so don’t take it personal).

When I got cut from the travel hockey team as a kid, I had coaches tell me I wasn’t good.

I never let that sh*t bother me (even at 11 years old)…..

I used that as motivation to prove them wrong & to eventually reach my desired goal.

My daily goals notebook (that I still use to this day) has a section in it that’s titled “Doubters”. It’s dedicated to everyone who’s ever doubted me in my life.

Take a few minutes to think about your own personal situation: What do you stop yourself from doing because of the fear of others laughing or criticizing you?

Based on that, decide how you can improve upon that in your everyday life moving forward.

We’ll end this post this my favorite quote on criticism.

READ IT TWICE…makes you think the next time before you feel the need to criticize.

“When we judge or criticize another person, it says nothing about the person; it merely says something about our own need to be critical” -Unknown

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