Criticism is the one form of service， of whicheveryone has too much. Everyone has a stock ofit which is handed out， gratis， whether called foror not. One’s nearest relatives often are the worstoffenders. It should be recognized as a crime （inreality it is a crime of the worst nature）， for anyparent to build inferiority complexes in the mind ofa child， through unnecessary criticism. Employerswho understand human nature， get the best thereis in men， not by criticism， but by constructivesuggestion. Parents may accomplish the same resultswith their children. Criticism will plant FEAR in thehuman heart， or resentment， but it will not build loveor affection.
SYMPTOMS OF THE FEAR OF CRITICISM
This fear is almost as universal as the fear ofpoverty， and its effects are just as fatal to personalachievement， mainly because this fear destroysinitiative， and discourages the use of imagination.
The major symptoms of the fear are：
SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS. Generally expressed through nervousness， timidity in conversation and inmeeting strangers， awkward movement of the handsand limbs， shifting of the eyes.
LACK OF POISE. Expressed through lack of voice control， nervousness in the presence of others，poor posture of body， poor memory.
PERSONALITY. Lacking in firmness of decision，personal charm， and ability to express opinionsdefinitely. The habit of side-stepping issues insteadof meeting them squarely. Agreeing with otherswithout careful examination of their opinions.
expressing selfapproval by word of mouth and by actions， as a means of covering up a feeling ofinferiority. Using “big words” to impress others，（often without knowing the real meaning of thewords）. Imitating others in dress， speech andmanners. Boasting of imaginary achievements. Thissometimes gives a surface appearance of a feeling ofsuperiority.
EXTRAVAGANCE. The habit of trying to
“keep up with the Joneses，” spending beyond one’sincome.
LACK OF INITIATIVE. Failure to embrace opportunities for self-advancement， fear to expressopinions， lack of confidence in one’s own ideas，giving evasive answers to questions asked bysuperiors， hesitancy of manner and speech， deceit inboth words and deeds.
LACK OF AMBITION. Mental and physical laziness， lack of self-assertion， slowness in reachingdecisions， easily influenced by others， the habit ofcriticising others behind their backs and flatteringthem to their faces， the habit of accepting defeatwithout protest， quitting an undertaking whenopposed by others， suspicious of other peoplewithout cause， lacking in tactfulness of mannerand speech， unwillingness to accept the blame formistakes.
THE FEAR OF ILL HEALTH
This fear may be traced to both physical and socialheredity. It is closely associated， as to its origin， withthe causes of fear of Old Age and the fear of Death，because it leads one closely to the border of “terribleworlds” of which man knows not， but concerningwhich he has been taught some discomfortingstories. The opinion is somewhat general， also， thatcertain unethical people engaged in the businessof “selling health” have had not a little to do withkeeping alive the fear of ill health.
In the main， man fears ill health because of theterrible pictures which have been planted in his mindof what may happen if death should overtake him.
He also fears it because of the economic toll whichit may claim.
A reputable physician estimated that 75% of allpeople who visit physicians for professional serviceare suffering with hypochondria （imaginary illness）.
It has been shown most convincingly that the fear ofdisease， even where there is not the slightest causefor fear， often produces the physical symptoms ofthe disease feared.
Powerful and mighty is the human mind！ It buildsor it destroys.
Playing upon this common weakness of fear of illhealth， dispensers of patent medicines have reapedfortunes. This form of imposition upon creduloushumanity became so prevalent some twenty yearsago that Colliers’ Weekly Magazine conducted abitter campaign against some of the worst offendersin the patent medicine business.
During the “flu” epidemic which broke out duringthe world war， the mayor of New York City tookdrastic steps to check the damage which peoplewere doing themselves through their inherent fearof ill health. He called in the newspaper men andsaid to them， “Gentlemen， I feel it necessary to askyou not to publish any scare headlines concerningthe ‘flu’ epidemic. Unless you cooperate with me，we will have a situation which we cannot control.”
The newspapers quit publishing stories about the“flu，” and within one month the epidemic had beensuccessfully checked.
Through a series of experiments conducted someyears ago， it was proved that people may be madeill by suggestion. We conducted this experiment bycausing three acquaintances to visit the “victims，”
each of whom asked the question， “What ails you？
You look terribly ill.” The first questioner usuallyprovoked a grin， and a nonchalant “Oh， nothing，I’m alright，” from the victim. The second questionerusually was answered with the statement， “I don’tknow exactly， but I do feel badly.” The thirdquestioner was usually met with the frank admissionthat the victim was actually feeling ill.
Try this on an acquaintance if you doubt that itwill make him uncomfortable， but do not carry theexperiment too far. There is a certain religious sectwhose members take vengeance upon their enemiesby the “hexing” method. They call it “placing aspell” on the victim.
There is overwhelming evidence that disease sometimes begins in the form of negative thoughtimpulse. Such an impulse may be passed from onemind to another， by suggestion， or created by anindividual in his own mind.
A man who was blessed with more wisdom than this incident might indicate， once said “Whenanyone asks me how I feel， I always want to answerby knocking him down.”