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Add to FavoritesA recent posting in an internet woodworking forum in which I participate expressed deep concern over the fact that the poster had made a "major" error in her work by doing something funny with a "join," as putting two pieces of wood together is called. She posted photos of the "hideous mistake" ... and was immediately deluged with a virtual flood of Biblical proportions reassuring her that the error was not an error at all - it existed only in her eyes.
This is an important point. The harshest critic of anything is going to the artist him- or herself. He or she is also going to be the second worst critic, being able to see flaws that exist only in his or her mind.
The worst critic is going to be someone who doesn't like the artist or the art. Book reviewers and other art critics are notorious for this. A reviewer who doesn't like, say, murder mysteries, will viciously pan (give a bad review to) a new entry into the field on the grounds that it is not a romantic comedy. As a twenty-year veteran of a choral group that has members all of one sex, we have received numerous bad reviews in which the reviewer made it clear that his or her problem was not the music selection, the performance, or anything other than the fact that it was not a mixed chorus of men and women!
Who, then, is the best critic? The artist is too close to be able to judge his or her work fairly. Someone who doesn't like the genre is too far away, and (being uninterested in or hostile to the subject or art) is not going to be able to judge it on its own merits or have a sufficient degree of objectivity.
Thus, asking me to rate, for example, articles on video games isn't, strictly speaking, fair, either for me or for the author of the article (I don't care about the author of the video game ... which proves my point). Yes, I try to judge the article on its own merits, and I think I succeed - most of the time. Does the article inform me what the heck the thing is without a lot of insider jargon? Does it make me want to rush out and buy the game ... assuming I wanted to play a video game? Or does it get into insipid commentary, or use a lot of words I don't understand about a world - that of gamers - that I find, in general, totally alien?
Trying to be objective about something that you're not interested in, however, while more difficult than attaining objectivity about something you love, is child's play compared to being objective about something you dislike intensely or even loathe. For example (being ridiculous), asking me to rate an article on whether it is better to herd people into death camps in Nazi Germany using freight trains or trucks would not be fair to the author because I am not sympathetic (to put it mildly) to the underlying issue - whether people should be herded into death camps in the first place.
In conclusion, yes, we should all strive for objectivity in our rating, and we should rate articles outside our area of expertise to expand our horizons - but if we find ourselves in strong disagreement with the underlying premise of an article, it is far better to recuse ourselves from that topic - we will not be objective, and will not be fair to the author.
Learn more about this author, Michael Greaney.
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Disagree
Should you rate articles you agree with or disagree with? I believe disagreement would make for more critical thought.
Rating articles that are written with the same viewpoint as your own means you tend to view mechanics more than content at least that's what I find myself doing when I rate articles whose point of view I share.
But when I read articles that go against what I believe, the critique becomes more than mere mechanics and grammar. I read the articles that are presented side by side and treat the competition as one of who can present a stronger case to make me at least consider their viewpoint has merit?'
I look for intelligence, the logical flow of their presentation, and yes, mechanics and grammar. After all, if they can't even spell correctly, or use the proper word for the situation, it doesn't do much for strongly presenting their case. I think this year's campaign has shown just how important presentation is. I may not agree with him, but you have to acknowledge that Obama is an eloquent speaker regardless of the message. What's the real message? That's for another article!
Back to the topic at hand
Yes, it's comfortable to read words that go along with your own views. You can skim the words, nodding your head in agreement as you go. But one thing I've learned in my life is the importance of open discussion. If we truly have the chance to openly discuss our beliefs, even those considered against the grain,' it enables everyone to better understand why others think the way they do. The sharing of ideas is an important catalyst to lasting change, and if you only read those views that cause you to behave like a bobble head doll, then the ideas really haven't been shared in the most beneficial way.
It makes me remember debates in my school days. The toughest debates were those that required me to defend the view I normally opposed. But it forced me to research the other side, get my mind around their thought processes and present it as a valid viewpoint. It helped open my mind to the views of others. Maybe it didn't persuade me to change my own beliefs, but I understood the other side a little better.
So to close, I think reading the articles you disagree with is better. It makes the writer work harder to create an article that is intelligent, it provokes the reader to think and open their mind and it helps us all understand each other. All in all, everyone wins when we give the other viewpoint a chance. Otherwise it becomes just another way of preaching to the converted' and I only enjoy that during Services.
Learn more about this author, Patrice S.
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