Why Criticizing Makes Us Feel Important

“Done! I can’t believe I actually did it. Everyone’s going to be blown away!” thought Fred.

A pleasant mix of excitement and joy bubbled inside him as he anticipated sharing the fruits of his hard work.

We all know this feeling.

Whether you’re building a website, constructing a doghouse, or launching your first startup, each of us has felt proud of something we’ve worked hard on at least once, especially at the beginning.

“Check it out!”

Bursting with pride, Fred placed a stack of papers, held together by a thick black clip, in front of his colleague and friend Sergio. The stack contained at least 40 pages.

It was an intricately detailed business plan, marketing strategy, and project concept that Fred had been working on for the past six months. It was his escape plan from the stifling, gray office life he had been stuck in for the past two years, after his business forced him to choose between taking on debt or working for someone else.

Sergio looked at the still-warm stack of papers with surprise and asked, “Is this what I think it is?”

Fred, fidgeting with anticipation, raised his eyebrows, silently repeating his initial phrase.

“Did you write a novel?” Sergio smirked. “Looks impressive. I’ll go through it all on Saturday and let you know, okay?”