Why is it easier to criticize than to compliment?

John Wooden

Reviewing Life’s Puzzlers by legendary basketball coach John Wooden is always useful. Wooden askes this question: Why is it easier to criticize than to compliment?

It is a tricky question. We all know that personally we tend to respond more favorably to compliments than to criticisms. In fact, despite the fact that most people say they can benefit from "constructive" criticism, most of the time there seems to be a very finite limit on how much they can process.

Those in leadership positions will do well to manage their relationships with this puzzler in mind. Finding ways to create genuine positive reinforcements is always preferrable to engaging in direct criticism. Criticism has very limited uses in human relations.