6. If you wouldn’t seek their advice, don’t heed their criticism.

Dear Marlowe,

The world is full of critics.

People who don’t even know you can say hurtful things about you, and people who have never even seen your work can speak ill of it. It’s a fact of life, and it can be very discouraging and painful. There is a simple solution to this problem though. 

When confronted with any form of criticism ask yourself: Would I seek out this person’s advice? Would I pay for their opinion? If the answer is no, you can disregard what they say immediately. It doesn’t matter one iota what they think of you. 

If you wouldn’t seek their advice, don’t heed their criticism. Focus on the people whose opinions you respect and have your best interest at heart, act on their advice or feedback, and ignore the rest.

Love,

Dad.

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Letters to Marlowe is a personal project to pass on valuable life advice to my son.

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