Well I had an interesting experience on Amazon today.
I got my first NOT 5-star review on amazon, on of all things, Real Men Don’t Rehearse.
What is weird about it is, they said it was "cute" and a "great read." Not sure how much more I can do to make a reader happy. Then they said "nothing new" and then proceeded to mention all the new unique tales contained therein. Also, I guess they didn't like the font. Gee whiz. I didn't know times new roman was "wrong." I realize it's a basic design, but i tried my best, and it's perfectly readable, no smudges. I tried to get a publisher to help me but they all turned me down. (I tell ya, I cry all the way to the bank when I sell a book and don't have a publisher to give 85% of the money to.)
This little incident points out one reason why I wrote my other book, Principles of Applied Stupidity. There are some people who just can't see what's good, and they have to point out what's bad. Feeling "smart" is a relative state; for them to feel smart, someone else has to feel relatively dumb; so they look for faults to point out. Of course, if you look hard enough, you can find fault with anyone. Therefore functioning as an openly creative person requires, not just talent, but also the ability to handle this kind of emotional onslaught. If you can't manage the blowback from these kinds of people, you will forever be hobbled in your own creative efforts.
This is a problem that occurs not only in the music business or the science business or the book business or in the business business. There are people everywhere who, due to unresolved personal trauma, feel the need to point out flaws. And if there aren't any, they'll find some. This is when POAS techniques such as embracing your inner idiot (Principle #11) come
in very handy.
(btw, the most effective way to handle this is not to resist it but to let them criticize you until they get tired. with luck, after a while they may actually start to feel safe enough in their superiority that these shame-based symptoms will dissipate. takes time, tho.)
I am partly laughing here, this will make great content for my next
presentation, and there have been enough people who have read the book and
then bought 15 copies for friends that I feel fairly secure in its
worthiness.
Well, resist not evil, but overcome it with goodness. Speaking of, if you have read RMDR and haven't written a review of it on amazon, now is the time for all good men (or women) to come to the aid of the party!
(c) Justin Locke
