Criticism is “fuel,” the pop singer says.

 

 

 

 

WORD FORMATION:

 Change the word in CAPITALS to fill in the blanks.

 

 

What’s the best way to handle criticism, especially if it seems unfounded, 1. ……… [KIND], and motivated by 2. ………… [HOSTILE]? You can ignore it. You can respond. Or you can use it to propel you forward. That’s what Taylor Swift says she does.

In a new video interview with The New York Times, Swift answers questions about her writing process. 3. ……….. [SURPRISE], her 4. ………….. [INSPIRE] often comes from mean things people have said about her.

The obvious example is Swift’s mega-hit “Shake It Off,” which starts: I stay out too late/Got nothing in my brain/That’s what people say. (…)

That’s far from the only one. (…) The same goes for “Anti-Hero,” in which Swift likens herself to a gigantic monster coming to destroy a city, with the refrain, I’m the problem, it’s me. “‘Anti-Hero’ is a song that I’m so proud of still, like that song doesn’t exist if I don’t get criticized for every aspect of my 5. …………. [PERSONAL],” she tells the Times.

In fact, she says, “Criticism has been a huge fuel for me. It’s been a huge jumping-off point, like a creative writing prompt or something.”

However you feel about criticism, I’m guessing you’ve never thought of it as a creativity prompt. And yet, it can be just that. Here’s some of the advice Swift gives other artists. It can work for you too.

Some people will be weird. That’s not your problem.

Swift has a 6. ………… [FAMOUS] close relationship with her fan base, which is one reason for her extreme 7. ………. [POPULAR]. But, she says, “there are so many of them now, which is great, but there are corners of my fan base who are going to take things to a really extreme place. There’s nothing I can do about that.”

The same is true for people who react in 8. ………… [EXPECT] ways to your product, your work, or to you yourself. Take what they say and consider whether any of it might be 9. ………. [USE]. But whatever you do, don’t take it 10. ……….. [PERSON] (…)

In order to check your answers/ read the whole article, go to: https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/in-1-sentence-taylor-swift-just-explained-the-best-way-to-respond-to-criticism

 

Key: 1. unkind; 2. hostility; 3. surprisingly; 4. inspiration; 5. personality; 6. famously; 7. popularity; 8. unexpected; 9. useful; 10. personally

 

Glossary

 

• unfounded – not based on facts, evidence, or good reasons
• to propel – to push, drive, or move something forward; can also mean to cause progress or development
• to drive home the point – to make something very clear and impossible to misunderstand, often by repeating it or giving strong examples
• to inundate – to overwhelm with a very large amount of something
• to spur sb on – to encourage or push someone to continue, work harder, or act

 

 

Practice makes perfect

Complete the gaps in the excerpt below with the words in bold:

 

races                  crave                 shallower                       censoring                       sets off

nerve                 defensive                       beat                   tighten                                          shields

 

(…) Think about what happens when you get criticised. Like physically, your shoulders 1. …….. , your breath gets 2. ……….., negative feedback 3. ……….. alarm bells. It actually touches a 4. ………. in your body. And psychologically, your mind 5. …….. . You start to put up 6. ……….. and mount a counter-attack. If you were a peacock, you’d strut. If you were an ape, you’d 7. ……….. your chest. But humans have another kind of reaction. There was a study a few decades ago that said our ego can get so 8. ………. in these situations that it becomes its own little totalitarian regime. It starts to control the flow of information to our brains the way a dictator controls the media. Think about that. Your own ego is 9. ………… what you hear. But if we never hear criticism, we’ll never improve. What would it be like at a place where people constantly criticise each other and 10. ……….. that kind of feedback for themselves in order to make everyone better? I’ve worked with hundreds of organisations and I’ve found only one where that’s truly the norm. You could say to me, hey jerk, you’re being an arsehole. And then we’ll say, okay, am I being an arsehole? (…)

In order to check your answers/listen to the whole podcast, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh1zhRck-Wg

 

Key: 1. tighten; 2. shallower; 3. sets off; 4. nerve; 5. races; 6. shields; 7. beat; 8. defensive; 9. censoring; 10. crave

 

Discuss

 

• How do you usually react when someone criticizes you?
• Do you find criticism motivating or discouraging? Why?
• Have you ever turned criticism into something positive, like improvement or inspiration?
• Do you agree that too much criticism can “drag you down”? Have you experienced this?
• What is the difference between constructive criticism and hostile criticism?
• Is it ever useful to respond directly to criticism, or is silence usually better?
• Why do people often become defensive when criticized?
• How can teachers/managers give criticism without discouraging people?
• Would you prefer honest but harsh criticism or gentle but less direct feedback?
• “Criticism is essential for growth.” Do you agree or disagree?

 

 

Watch and Revise!

 

Taylor Swift’s Secret to Thriving on Criticism

 

 

https://www.cloud.worldwideschool.pl/index.php/s/a4gPtjeWFDstSWW

 

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