Why critics never win

Critics never win for two reasons.

First, people want to believe. I think most of us live lives of quiet desperation. We get stuck in dead-end jobs and dead-end marriages. We want something that brings us alive, something that mystifies us and points to something bigger out there. Traditional religion used to fill that role but it's too hard and can't survive the "cater to the consumer" mentality of capitalism. None of that "making demands" stuff is wanted. So fantasy is substituted instead.

And so we get various claims made by people about health, lineages, fighting capabilites, etc.; all largely made up. But people believe it. Questioning things is too difficult. Who has the time? People are so tired. Besides, the fantasy feels all warm and cozy inside. "Wow! My teacher has the secret death touch! I'm a lucky student! Maybe one day I'll get to learn it after doing forms for 10-20 years."

Isn't it true that many people are just looking for a father figure? And aren't they willing to believe most anything in order to get that? If the teacher talks a good game and seems sincere, then most people won't question anyway because doing so seems rude. Add in most students' needs and you get the perfect market for fakes. Doing things that exist outside of verifiable structures always helps, of course.

Second, critics never win because criticism is destructive. Criticism only tears down. It never builds up, even when it's correctly used. Oh sure, some destruction must take place in order for something new to take its place. That's why I engage in limited criticism of others. People simply MUST learn to exercise their critical thinking muscles or they will be unable to use them. Students that have fantasies firmly in place in their minds will be difficult to teach when the cold, hard realities of training are presented to them. Teachers must challenge students' perceptions in order to teach them something new.

People never learn what they think they already know.

Still, I hope to engage in very limited amounts of criticism because I know how destructive it is. Critics aren't well liked. They are seen as losers who can't "do." That may be partially true. Authors will tell you of all the failed authors who become book critics.

The problem is that even fakes "create" something. Think of how many MA teachers create their own reality by writing pieces for the advertisement rags that are called MA magazines. Those magazines will print most anything, especially if you take out ad space in the magazine. Quid pro quo. These teachers write books, make video tapes, teach seminars, all despite the fact that they know very little or knowthing about what they claim to teach. But people buy it because the teacher gains credibility by building a house of cards. Oh sure, maybe they are cards, but it's still a house, right? A fake house is better than no house, I guess.

So I'm dedicating myself to building up, not tearing down, whether it be myself or others. Tearing down doesn't usually get us anywhere. But sometimes those who know need to speak up. Knowing when and how to speak up is the trick.