Being Critical: What’s That Supposed to Mean?

Being critical. That’s the thing that I’m confused about up to the second I write this. There’s actually thing in which I do not really understand about being critical. In what side I should be on, what dose of being it I have to swallow, so that I’m becoming neither overwhelmed nor lacked of it. When I joined a debating club, I 102% agreed that being critical was what the most required to be a debater, considering the things that I knew about it were merely about finding the loophole(s) of my opponents’ argument, about you question everything, about how could you make theirs so hideous that yours will remain the most convincing and making sense of all, for debating is not the place where you find the truth or the right things. But now, I somehow doubt it.


There’s sometimes moment as I begin to ask a lot of questions that I have no answers for, I begin to be like okay, as you stop asking questions then you stop facing confusion then live happily ever after (or silently ever after). But then, oh c’mon you, no questions asked then no, nothing! You will probably live in denial, stupidity at the worst.


Well, I’m not really sure that I share such dilemma with my fellows in debate or any of my friends. They seem fine, all of them; the ones that, I consider, are highly critical and the other that are less critical or even do not care of anything at all “Hell, take it easy, just live a life” they probably will say.


Here are the things about being critical I’m basically confused of. You begin to despise people, disrespectful. Somehow you always see or try to see (by the habit) something lacked of one’s performance, their talks, you think, do not make any sense, (through your shoes) they are not supposed to be like what they are. You know, there’s a certain point in which you put high expectation then you just get nothing or far below what you have anticipated before (as the result of you being critical, you think you know exactly something that’s supposed to be, you think you know the standard), and then at that moment you become unappreciative and disappointed all at once for the things in front of you, even sometimes for yourself. You also become skeptical of anything, you are not naïve (it’s a good thing), but you’re exceedingly realistic.


Becoming cynical is another result of being critical, it’s a sign of cleverness I was once told. But then again, if that means that you fail to see any single good thing in anything or anyone, I don’t think so. Life is too short to be used to judge, criticize, and despise people or yourself. It’s also too short to be seen cynically or skeptically just because you are smart enough to do so.


I don’t want to end up that way. But I don’t want to be so naïve that becomes an absolute believer, either; one who swallows any given thing without asking. The thing is I want to spare all the overwhelming side effect of being a superfluous inquisitor. Just want to be critical without despising people or ungrateful, to be realistic yet not to be skeptical, and to get wits instead of excessive cynicism. I know that sounds impossible, too perfect to be true, “nobody’s perfect” an old saying screams, but everybody can try to be perfect, don’t they? Well then, I guessed the point’s been made here.


“There couldn’t be a good guy if there wasn’t a bad guy who set the standard”
Jodi Picoult The Tenth Circle