Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Criticizing criticism

Being critical can either be a great skill or an evil curse, depending on the usage. Everyone can be critical at times. I definitely am critical of most things because inside my thoughts I am constantly debating the existence of everything. Yet, very few know what I am most critical about. 

Anyways....

The few things that I do not enjoy to criticize are literature, movies, and art. To me, these categories represent expression and to criticize them is to criticize their creators. That is why when we read novels in class that I dislike analyzing because we do not what the author is thinking while reading the book. Maybe they accidentally allude to Jesus on every other page. Also, whatever we criticize in these categories cannot change them. If you think the author should have used a more subtle way to explain the character's Achilles heel, there is nothing that can change that book. The words have been printed, shouldn't we accept, rather than criticize?



But everything must be analyzed with a fine tooth comb because apparently that betters society. I must say the criticism can be constructive, but it can also be destructive. It's much easier to criticize a dead man's work than work of a living author because no one can get hurt. What if T. S. Eliot's criticism of Hamlet set Shakespeare's life into a dark spiral where he could only think of those words for the rest of his life until his depression-filled cloud envelops his soul? Well then there would a problem in Denmark. As we criticize the living, we must remember to do so in a manner that reaffirms people rather than destroy people. 

This day on my pier I criticized criticism itself. Not well, because I am not fond of written criticism opposed to verbal or mental criticism. I invite you to sit on your pier and meta-criticize. It could become enjoyable.

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