Chris Brogan has jumped the shark and totally sold out
Chris Brogan has jumped the shark and totally sold out. He’s a loser. Ignore him, and start working on elevating yourself to social media deity status! Forget Chris Brogan – only YOU can save social media! Go!
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Are all the gullible people gone?
Okay, good. For everyone else who remained – which is like 99% of my blog’s readership, the people with brains and a sense of humor – here’s the real deal:
If you’re NOT getting hate mail, you’re doing it wrong. Or more specifically, if you don’t have detractors, you’re not making enough of an impact.
My teacher’s teacher, Stephen K. Hayes, puts this far more poetically and elegantly: the brighter the light, the darker the shadow it casts. The brighter you are, the more you attract those who don’t want there to be brightness in the world.
Ankle-biters, armchair quarterbacks, and “thought leaders” (you know, the people thinking about leading but never quite do it) have always been around and have always been nibbling at the heels of people who do good things. It’s a sign that you’re having true impact when you start to accumulate these parasites, rather like the sign of a seasoned ship is a nice collection of barnacles.
Embrace the fact that you’ve got critics. Embrace the fact that you’ve got people who are, in some cases, very loudly angry at perceived (occasionally delusional) slights. These are good things, positive signs, welcome notices that you’re making a difference, you’re moving the needle.
Now, that’s not to say that you still shouldn’t take note of criticism, especially if it comes in quietly, non-publicly, from the trusted friends and allies who have been with you since the beginning. To those folks, the voices who aren’t afraid to call Bravo Sierra to your face in private – pay attention.
For everyone else, especially for the armchair quarterbacks who show a peculiar lack of accomplishment of their own, be happy about them. Be excited about them! They’re the milestones (admittedly, not the most attractive ones) on the road towards achievement.
Plus, as a matter of perspective, be glad that they’re only social critics. When you reach the level of earth-shaking needle-moving as leaders like the Dalai Lama have, you’ll have people actively working to murder you and everyone close to you on a daily basis for the remainder of your natural life. How bad can a few blog posts or angry tweets be compared to that?
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I love this article! Haters bring it on….lol
I love this article! Haters bring it on….lol
The picture of Brogan really *makes* the entire post. Love it. And I'm with you – critics are good. It means you are doing something to create change – hopefully positive change.
Thanks for pointing this out … sensational headline and all!
DJ Waldow
Director of Community, Blue Sky Factory
@djwaldow
Great Post Chris. In fact, I've had discussions w/ Mr. Brogan in the past about how to handle the folks that always seem to have something negative to say. I've adopted the smile and shower them with happiness method. Thank them for the criticism, sift out the good well meaning stuff and throw the rest in the circular file. I used to get offended. Not anymore. Keep writing good stuff.
If people didn't hate Chris, we'd all have to hate Scoble. The more people we have to hate, the more the field is validated. Conversely, the fewer people there are to hate in a field, the smaller the impact that field is having on the lives of its participants.
How many duck call manufacturers have you hated today?
Great post, Chris. I read his post earlier and was just somewhat surprised he even talked about it. He doesn't need to tell me/us all he's done. He is an amazing talent, yet a bit fragile. As you wrote so correctly, the better we do, the more criticism we will receive (most of it unwarranted-as is the case with Chris Brogan). There is no need to step down to their level and rebut them with your accomplishments, you are just wasting energy. That is my opinion. I'll write the same thing now on his blog. Have a great weekend!
Well-written, Keith! I'm with you!
The picture of Brogan really *makes* the entire post. Love it. And I’m with you – critics are good. It means you are doing something to create change – hopefully positive change.
Thanks for pointing this out … sensational headline and all!
DJ Waldow
Director of Community, Blue Sky Factory
@djwaldow
Great Post Chris. In fact, I’ve had discussions w/ Mr. Brogan in the past about how to handle the folks that always seem to have something negative to say. I’ve adopted the smile and shower them with happiness method. Thank them for the criticism, sift out the good well meaning stuff and throw the rest in the circular file. I used to get offended. Not anymore. Keep writing good stuff.
Thanks for injecting humor into the ugly side of human nature and for turning it into a positive.
If people didn’t hate Chris, we’d all have to hate Scoble. The more people we have to hate, the more the field is validated. Conversely, the fewer people there are to hate in a field, the smaller the impact that field is having on the lives of its participants.
How many duck call manufacturers have you hated today?
Great post, Chris. I read his post earlier and was just somewhat surprised he even talked about it. He doesn’t need to tell me/us all he’s done. He is an amazing talent, yet a bit fragile. As you wrote so correctly, the better we do, the more criticism we will receive (most of it unwarranted-as is the case with Chris Brogan). There is no need to step down to their level and rebut them with your accomplishments, you are just wasting energy. That is my opinion. I’ll write the same thing now on his blog. Have a great weekend!
Well-written, Keith! I’m with you!
I'd leave a comment, but what if someone doesn't like me?
haha. You make a nice case for not only hanging tough when critics take their shots, but maybe even embracing it. Well done, Chris. Fear of criticism is one of the upcoming posts in my “What's Stopping You?” series… now all I need to do is link back to this. Thank you!
I agree whole heartedly with this! Haters gonna hate. That's what I've heard at least, so having naysayers around should be a good thing to keep you motivated to try even harder! : )
I’d leave a comment, but what if someone doesn’t like me?
haha. You make a nice case for not only hanging tough when critics take their shots, but maybe even embracing it. Well done, Chris. Fear of criticism is one of the upcoming posts in my “What’s Stopping You?” series… now all I need to do is link back to this. Thank you!
I agree whole heartedly with this! Haters gonna hate. That's what I've heard at least, so having naysayers around should be a good thing to keep you motivated to try even harder! : )
Excellent point Chris, talking about the true nature of publicity in a world of trolls.
Whew…..you got me with the title of this post; I'm a huge fan of Brogan! Happy Birthday to the man indeed! Another great post (as usual) Chris!
But sometimes they’re right.
Be careful in dismissing criticism just because the giver is rude. Step back and see what mad them mad. The problem may be at your end.
How they tell you this may not always be complimentary, so… count to 10, don’t hit the Reply button, and give it some consideration.
You might learn something.
Excellent point Chris, talking about the true nature of publicity in a world of trolls.
But sometimes they’re right.
Be careful in dismissing criticism just because the giver is rude. Step back and see what mad them mad. The problem may be at your end.
How they tell you this may not always be complimentary, so… count to 10, don’t hit the Reply button, and give it some consideration.
You might learn something.
🙂 I always love your posts
🙂 I always love your posts
🙂 I always love your posts