People can criticize an opinion you shared, a new WordPress template you designed, or even a simple question you asked on your blog. Since we spend most of our working hours online, we’re especially prone to public displays of criticism, some of which are inflammatory.

How do we deal with the critics without damaging our careers?

Take a step back. While it’s perfectly normal to have an initial upset reaction to your critics, it’s best to step back for a while before you defend yourself. Immediately responding to critics might add fuel to the fire and cause more damage than you’d be willing to handle.

Don’t take it personally. Paradoxically, this is even more important when a critic starts making personal attacks at you. If the comments aren’t constructive and have nothing to do with your work, then they’re not worth thinking about.

Also, people who rant online aren’t necessarily targeting you. It’s entirely possible that they’re not in a good mood to begin with and they’ve been seeing the glass half-empty all day. Since you never completely know all the reas