Criticism is like a shot in the arm: It hurts but it eventually helps.  To think you are above it is folly.  To think you don’t need it is arrogance.  The reason we find criticism so difficult to deal with is because it touches the area of our heart that is often guarded and relentlessly defended: the area of pride.  We may never admit it, but failure to embrace criticism is an attempt to claim perfection.  Granted, not all criticism is substantiated, warranted, or deserved; but our response to the criticism is often the measuring rod of our character.

Knowing …