Ignore (Most) Feedback

Free feedback is everywhere. But it’s mostly bad. Good feedback should be costly. Sometimes to you. Always to the person giving it.Line editor work for your next book. Time consuming. Costly. Don’t ignore it.  A review of your recent play in the theater publication. Costly. Don’t ignore it. An anonymous rant in the comment section of your blog. Not costly. Ignore it.Four traits of feedback you should ignore:

1. 1. 1. It summarizes your work in a line or two. Substantive feedback is an indication that your work was taken seriously. Ignore it otherwise.
      2. It’s anonymous. If it’s not worth someone owning it, it’s not worth you considering it. Attaching a name to feedback is a small, important cost to them.
      3. It confuses your work with you personally. This is an old, cheap trick, known as ad hominem. It gives weight to an opinion without putting in the time (or discipline) to give the opinion (or your work) proper attention.
      4. It’s all positive or all negative. No one’s work is all one or the other. If it’s not worth discovering the complexity of your work, it’s not worth you listening to.