For me the outlier of adverse and unacceptable criticism is when it becomes clear that whatever I do or whatever I say will be adversely received. The criticism is thus not addressable since corrective action is not possible. I suppose I became this type of critic during the Presidency of Richard Nixon. At some point, he lost all credibility with me, and I lost respect for him as a person.
Spiritual criticism is always problematic since I start with the belief that my basic task is to please God rather than man. This tends to establish a shield against spiritual criticism other than that derived from Scripture or from highly trusted spiritual advisors exceptionally skilled in spiritual discipline. Thus it turns out that the most significant of all matters – spiritual health – is the most insulated from human criticism.
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