The Optimistic Outlook with John Eades Don't Let Praise or Criticism Control You
Sep 22, 2025
Discover how praise can lead to complacency while criticism can dampen your spirit. A personal tale about a harsh book review reveals the delicate balance between handling feedback and maintaining your identity. The key takeaway? Guard your heart and mind from external opinions. Embrace optimism and persistent action as your guiding principles, regardless of the highs and lows of feedback.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Praise Can Produce Complacency
- Praise inflates ego and can create a dangerous illusion of arrival that breeds complacency.
- John Eades warns that praise often slows growth when it replaces persistent action.
Action Trumps External Validation
- Neither praise nor criticism should control your identity or decisions.
- Growth comes from persistent action, not from what others say about you.
A Negative Review Slowed Progress
- John Eades watched Amazon reviews for Building the Best and celebrated every positive one.
- A harsh negative review sank into his heart and slowed his writing progress on a later book.
