More on dealing with critics (and trolls)…

This post was written in response to a recent troll attack on Bob Bly, fellow engineer turned highly successful copywriter and author.

This is also an update to a favorite post done way back in 2012, when first trolled at JumpToConsulting.

Trolls, by their very nature, are unsuccessful losers. If they were successful, they would not need to attack others. Rather, they would be helping others.

Here is a summary of Bob’s recent trolling:

Dear Direct Response Letter Subscriber:

DZ writes:

“Bob, … I downloaded your ‘book’ from Amazon — your book is a joke.

“Your writing reminds me of dog sh*t. It was a complete waste
of $10.

“And you are trying above to sell your ‘services’?

“Amazon should know as much — they shouldn’t sell such waste to
an unsuspecting public. Watch for my short review.

“And I even pity your clients that buy your ‘finished
copy.’ You don’t have any talent for writing — only
spelling.”

Upon reading DZ’s email, my associate JV sent me an email that
says: “Jackass … I certainly hope you won’t let this ruin
your day!

“Someone can express that they are disappointed or dislike
something — but this is rather juvenile and downright
ridiculous.”

I could not agree with JV more.

Sincerely,
Bob Bly

Incidentally, Bob has a money back satisfaction guarantee. If not happy, you can even keep the book. We adopted the same policy at Kimmel Gerke Associates year ago.

Here are my comments sent to Bob:

Hi Bob,

Here is one of my favorite blog posts, written in response to a simple minded troll. I did not post his comment, but wrote this instead. Best of all, he unsubscribed to my newsletter 🙂

https://jumptoconsulting.com/why-critics-dont-count/

Please note the second personal story, regarding the book by a colleague. I loved my late biz partners comeback to the critic ” better than your book.” The critic, of course, had not written one, and never did.

Recently ran across a story by a very successful businessperson, who pointed out that many critics are losers who lash out at the nearest perceived success.

As a result, I now consider BS like your critic as a compliment – they are obviously jealous of your success.

Best regards,
Daryl

More on the recent story on critics, told by former Navy SEAL Brandon Webb in his book “Excellence Matters.” Seems Mark Harmon (television show NCIS) wrote Webb because he enjoyed his books, and they ended up sharing lunch. BTW, Mark has a reputation for being one of the nicest people in Hollywood.

Their discussion turned to unfair public attacks, which both have experienced. Mark was philosophical, and noted “you are always going to have people who are miserable in their own lives and just lash out, out of their own insecurities. And they always lash out at the brightest targets. It comes with the territory.”

I found this story strangely liberating. As a member of an HOA board, I’ve been repeatedly hit with vitriolic emails and verbal abuse from a few homeowners. Would have left a long time ago, but we have many good people in the community who appreciate the board’s efforts.

Still, the negatives can grind one down – if you let them.

Mark’s advice on critics was like a light bulb. He reminded me the attacks are not personal, but are a manifestation of the critic’s own problems. As such, I no longer let the trolls bother me. If anything, I feel pity for them as they are obviously very unhappy.

In closing, ignore the trolls, or take their comments as jealousy of YOUR success.