At a young age, my Dad started calling us kids by our last name. My brother, Corker; my sister, Cork; and me, Little Cork. I hated when he called me that because I felt like he was making me into just “another Corker” despite the fact that I was completely different than my brother or sister (or at least tried to be).
[Sidenote: I clearly did not take in to consideration that "William" and "Matthew" are consistently in the top 10 most popular names in the US, while Corker is not even on the map. I wanted to be different by being the same - such faulty logic!]
He said that he did this so that when we got out “into the world,” we would be able to laugh at ourselves. Corker, Porker, Dorker, Snorker, … yep, we soon got them all (and more) from our peers, but they never seemed to phase us. So I admit it, he actually prepared us for a life of Corker-inspired nicknames. Since then, I embrace (and promote) the fact that I am known as “Corker.” But unfortunately not everyone can embrace the things that people will critique them on.
The majority of people are often too worried about being attractive, being popular, being “appropriate,” and being successful that they forget how to laugh at themselves. They don’t want to be criticized or made fun of because they feel like it would be the end of their world. Rest assured, it’s not. Yes, many jobs require you to be appropriate and successful in what you do. That being said, if Sarah Palin can laugh at Tina Fay’s mockery of her, you can laugh at your critics’ comments too!
The real truth is that being able to laugh at yourself is an incredible competitive advantage. Why? You stand out from the crowd – not many people are doing it, so all of a sudden you become noticeable. Then people begin to talk about you – you become noticed by many. How is this a competitive advantage? When you embrace criticism, you are seen by the public as something worth critiquing. No one will talk about the run of the mill customer service they received, or the unoriginal event they attended – those aren’t worth noticing. People who take life too seriously are not seen as very personable either. When’s the last time you’ve enjoyed hanging out or working with an unpleasant individual?
The number of YoutTube “fan videos” and spoofs of existing movies is a good example of this. These videos range from Sarah Palin (too many to list), to a mascot version of SNL’s “Dick in a Box,” to copying Chris Crocker to create “Leave Steve Jobs Alone” to name a few. One of my favourite is of the very cool “Where the Hell is Matt?” video. He mentions on his website that he and his girlfriend made these videos, but we only see him in the video. So, naturally, the video “Where the Hell is Matt’s girlfriend,” soon became the video people wanted to see:
People only remake or spoof something worth noticing. Think about how much time it takes for them to create and edit these videos. This suggests that the critics are also saying that the original version is worth their time and effort. Some reflect the original in a positive manner, some negatively, while some provide a different perspective all together – but they all promote and add value to the original.
When’s the last time you (or your organization) made it easy for people to laugh at you – on purpose? Have you ever embraced your critics and used them to spread the word? If you’re too concerned about what they will say about you, you won’t ever be able to turn your biggest critics into raving fans.
You, and the things you do, are worth noticing. So look in the mirror and have a good laugh – and encourage people to do the same!
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