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None of us are free from criticism, and none of us are free from the responsibility of giving it.

Our culture makes it difficult for us to be generous in a genuine, serious way. It is uncomfortable to point out what is wrong with both ourselves and those around us, what we can do better, and why. And yet that is at the very center of a resilient culture, of a beautiful society, and of a life worth living.

When we conflate criticism with antagonism, we destroy possibility. We undermine ourselves and everyone else in this collective quest to find truth, meaning, and purpose, for it cannot be found by wallowing in misery, by being mired in conflict, or by basking in complacency.