Abusive criticism as opposed to constructive criticism

Originally posted in German on 21st May 2025

by Heinz Grill

The ability to be critical of oneself, others and the various phenomena in the world is a characteristic of the heart chakra or, otherwise expressed, the energy centre that lies at the level of the heart. A chakra is like a wheel, like a circle that turns round and round. It exists in the astral body or in the subtle layers of consciousness of the human being and can mark the various stages of development. It is invisible to the eye, yet its subtle existence can be sensed and felt with a reasonably developed ability to subtly feel with the soul. Generally speaking, constructive criticism leads to a favourable development of the heart chakra, while all abusive criticism, emotional hubris, sophisticated lying and unsound, envious jealousy destroy this centre in its subtle energy.

Rudolf Steiner, for example, named tolerance as a virtue that is necessary for the unfolding of the lotus flower of the heart.¹⁾Rudolf Steiner, Knowledge of the Higher Worlds – How is it achieved. Rudolf Steiner Press. Chapter entitled: Some effects of Initiation. The ability to practice self-criticism in an objective way and to criticise the phenomena of life in a constructively objective way is a prerequisite for the great virtue of tolerance. A fearful, withdrawn silence in the face of lies and negative phenomena in life should never be confused with this virtue. Courage is necessary for tolerance. Maybe some people stay silent out of courage when experiencing a negative phenomenon in life, but then they do so out of wisdom and critically examine the phenomenon in the stillness of their souls. Their heart-feeling stays in the stream of development.

A phenomenon that weighs down on the heart, both mentally as well as physically is scathing criticism. Generally, this is referred to as abusive criticism and it is nearly always directed in an unobjective way at a person who is to be denigrated, judged and brought into a disparaging light in front of others. Someone says to their peer: “You are too stupid to understand the words that I have spoken”. This criticism is abusive and insulting as it does not only devalue the person in their individual capacity but also robs them of the opportunity to develop. It is an unobjective relationship that starts with criticism. In principle, any polemic aimed at diminishing the individual being, is dishonouring and restricts the development of a healthy sense of human interaction. Furthermore, abusive criticism and one-sided, unobjective personal evaluation does not allow the heart centre to unfold at all.²⁾The ability to form the right judgement is described in the booklet ‘Six Soul Exercises. The development of a well-founded ability to judge has a stabilising and liberating effect on traumatised people and protects them from false emotionality.

Constructive criticism is rooted in a factual, topic-based connection, and although it may be directed towards a person and their work, it does not diminish the personal, but sheds light on the words, actions and phenomena expressed. The motive for criticism is then no longer to harm the other person, but to support truths and their meaningful integration. Gandhi was an excellent master of this form of criticism, for he distinguished between the people who occupied India and the English occupation policy, of which he was openly critical. The motive of all his efforts was to preserve being-human and to elevate the values both of the Indian and of the English people. The topic he pursued was political and state independence.³⁾Indian philosophy uses the words ahimsa and himsa, non-violence and use of violence, not only for actions, but also for the choice and use of words. If words are very scathing and spoken with the deliberate intention to harm, they violate the principle of ahimsa, non-violence.

All insults, value judgements, and attacks against others that take place in a personal form, even if they arise out of an emotional hurt, rob the soul-light of the people who carry out this aggression, and any sensitive ability to empathise. People throw themselves back into their physical body and despite an outer vitality they become uglier. Typical forms of insult are, for example, insulting the other person because of their faith, disempowering them by accusing them of being part of a sect or generally spreading all manner of untruths about them that are likely to stigmatise them in the eyes of the public. Lies and lack of objectivity, the intention to condemn, and aggression always live as potential forces in any abusive criticism.

Constructive criticism, on the other hand, is empathetic because it puts itself in the shoes of the other person’s argumentation, finds the kernel of truth in the words and tries to understand the context in which the other person finds themselves. Not only the external, but also the inner content of the words is then meaningful. Out of this empathetic awareness, constructive criticism develops corrections with content, improvements, furtherments, explanations, appropriate comparisons and generally lifts the topic. For this reason, constructive criticism is always preferable and it is part of active development, not only of the heart centre, but of all subtle energy centres.

If someone, for example, talks about something that does not make sense pedagogically, first of all their words must be brought into conscious awareness. They must be comprehended, their essence must be sufficiently visualised and ultimately, with the necessary specialist orientation, they must be brought into meaningful further discussion. With the critical observation and the effort for an appropriate and broadened argumentation, the other person would not be belittled, they would rather be led into the possibility of further development. However, when people say something nonsensical and other people get angry about it and directly and immediately make a value judgement of them, they destroy the opportunity for development and through being so overpowering are no longer centred and lose their connection to the warmth of the heart.

At the same time, aggressors who insult and humiliate others, take on the astral form that they have created. To insult someone else as being totally dependent leads directly to a constriction of the aggressors in their own body and with this the aggressors create the image of their own dependence. For this reason, the prototypical characteristics of their own words can be found in all those who put down others the most. The soul enters into the form that it motivates and creates with its words.

Three limbs are important for every constructive criticism. A critical observation requires an objective relationship, firstly to the other person, secondly to the factual topic and thirdly to oneself. If someone denies another person’s spiritual development, whether out of fear of taking new steps or out of vain conceit, they are, metaphorically speaking, hitting the other person with a blunt shovel. Spiritually seen, these unsound polemics and value judgements are like flat blows from a spade.

Criticism in a constructive form, applying a three limbed approach, which states that the other person’s individuality should never be violated, that the topic wants to unfold in the most beautiful form and that one’s own efforts are concerned with the interest of a greater whole, always leads to a better, centred soul-feeling of the heart and, long term, to a peaceful disposition. However, if the other person still feels offended and this is only because their previous world view or the words they expressed are criticised, further questions arise. Nevertheless, refraining from criticising just because the other person reacts in a strong and emotional way cannot be given too much importance as a criterion for working with oneself and others. This omission then leads to a reaction in the astral body or, put another way, in the depths of the consciousness, so that divisions arise between people and spiritual aims can no longer be attained. However, if someone feels hurt when a correction is given not out of personal reasons but out of objective reasons and this person still reacts emotionally, this usually indicates the error in which they already find themselves. If someone feels hurt because the other person denies them any sense of responsibility, an emotional reaction will probably be justified in many cases, because it is a personal blow. Human interaction is in many ways very complex and interwoven, so that the personal and the objective are incredibly skilfully camouflaged. However, endeavouring to be constructive never leads people to division, but rather it lays the foundational stones for connection and peaceful human interaction.

There are three limbs that are developed through conscious activity. The topic is elevated in truth, the individuality of the other person gains a sense of honour through the constructive criticism and one’s own self assumes the standpoint of the centre of the heart.

Drawing: Anne-Michèle Hambye