How to defend your idea without getting defensive
Do you get upset when someone criticizes your idea? Do you always defend your idea in an angry and defensive way? How to defend your idea without getting defensive?
You are likely to defend your idea, since this is what you believe in. When someone criticizes your idea, you need to defend without exaggeration and without being defensive. If you defend your idea, opinion, or belief in a defensive and an angry way, you are likely to get criticized more by the others. When you defend your idea in a defensive way, you will seem like you are attacking others.
Defend your idea
If your goal is to learn how to defend your idea without getting defensive, follow the below steps:
1. Be prepared
When you say an opinion or propose an idea, know that there are some people who will not understand it. Be prepared that some will not agree with your idea. Prepare to answer all the questions that you think people will ask or object about. When you are prepared, you won’t overreact when you answer.
2. Thank your critics
Thank the critics and the people for their criticism and feedback. When you thank your critics, this behavior will show that you are strong and that you didn’t get affected by their criticism even if it was unconstructive.
3. Practice
To be able to communicate with others without getting defensive, you need to practice with your close friends before you present your idea. Make your friends ask you as many questions as possible, so you will be well prepared when you present your idea to people. The more you practice, the better you will become at handling criticism.
4. Control your body language
Work on relaxing your facial muscles and smile, so you won’t show the anger on your face. When you smile, this will tend to make the debate less tense. You can’t control others, but you can control yourself, so you look as a leader in front of your oppositions.
5. Accept the criticism
Know that everyone has different opinion and beliefs. Everyone has a different look at situations, so learn to accept and appreciate that about people.
Do you know that only 3% of the world’s population manage to plan and reach their goals? The main goal for 2achieveyourgoals.com is to help you become from the top 3% of the world’s population who know how to achieve any goal they desire in all areas of life. ”The ultimate guide to achieve your goals” was released to help you achieve everything your heart desires. To check 2achieveyourgoals.com books, click here
For more information, read:
Three steps for dealing with negative people
How to be more productive in life
Accepting that people will critic your idea one way or the other will go a long way to helping you present your idea without being defensive. Knowing this will help you to be more open minded to criticism no matter how hard they come at you, every great idea at one time or the other had been criticized. It’s your ability to remain steadfast despite criticism that will make your idea fly. It’s your job to protect your idea and fight for its survival and acceptance.
Thanks for the post Dia.
Hi Tito,
I agree that every idea will get criticized. When when prepare ourselves, we will respond to criticism without getting defensive.
Great list Dia, I would offer just one more: Belief.
When we believe in our idea 100% then defending our idea becomes more of an issue of passion than defensiveness.
Alex
Hi Alex,
I agree with you belief is crucial. After all, we really won’t win if we don’t believe in our idea. Having belief will sure make things a lot easier.
Dia – nice one! One thing I do is make sure that I have complete faith in my own idea, prior to sharing it. This provides a layer of confidence when I share my idea, which then triggers a level of trust from others.
Good work!
Hi JK,
For sure my friend, having complete faith in our idea is crucial. People will notice that about us and they will be more likely to accept it.
Awesome post! Yeah, i love the idea of thanking your critics and not showing the anger on your face. It’s a nice idea. It will show that you are 100% sure of your idea. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Samuel,
Exactly, when we thank our critics, we are also showing them that we respect their opinions and it shows that we our confident of our ideas.
Great post, I love the tip #1. I always prepare the list of negative points and counter-arguments. However, it is also important to understand the value of accepting mistakes.
Hi Ishan,
For sure my friend, preparing a list of negative points is helpful, so we know how to respond before someone criticizes our idea.
I agree with one of the commenters that if you have belief in your ideas, you don’t need to be defensive. Let others have their own opinions. It’s just that sometimes I need to smile more in order not to appear like a douche. Hehe! Thanks Dia!
Hi Shanaz,
Yea, it is crucial to respect their opinion even if they disagree with our idea. Smiling for sure help, so we won’t appear that we got affected by what they said
I dis as Sean Carter Said, ” let your ish bubble quietly, then you BLOW, and keep your cool.” Never let anyone know what cards you hold. Act as if your the house. Best advice I’vs gotten from a hip hop record. And they say rap hinders the mind ( pish – posh) Great work Dia!
Hi Jonathan,
I agree with you, it is important to stay calk when someone criticizes our idea and be confident of what we are presenting and saying
Nice advice Dia! I can definitely take something away from this since I tend to be overly sensitive to criticism… which sometimes leads to defensiveness. But I learn to accept it and try to take it constructively. You always learn something new from it
Hi Elise,
Yea, when we learn to accept criticism and respect different opinions, we will become less defensive is someone criticizes our idea, opinion, or belief.
The word that stood out to me was ‘defend’ which means to me to protect, cherish and safeguard. Many will attack to try and steal your thunder or through their lack of insight or ambition. Be prepared to win the fight as much with yourself as anyone else to hold onto your dream or vision. Keep on keeping on. Cheers Dia for this as I’m busy ideas building right now so this post is momentum in the moment for me.
Hi John,
Exactly my friend, many will try to attack, we have to be well prepared, so we can respond in a non-defensive way.
Great post! And great advice!
Accepting criticism is definitely something I need to practice on though; been causing me alot of trouble lately, that even my own parents have become afraid of criticizing me anymore
Hi Amr,
Yea, learning to accept criticism can be a challenge, but with constant practice, you will be able to do it. The key really is learning to accept and appreciate everyone’s opinion.
Dia,
Accepting criticism is not an easy task. I have learned over the years that there are just different ways to do things and not to become defensive. Many times I eat the meat and spit out the bones. Meaning I only dwell on the changes that will improve me not discourage me.
Hi Frank,
Exactly my friend, accepting criticism can take some time to master, but it is doable with practice and respecting other’s opinions. We have to always dwell on the changes that will improve us.
I have been there Dia. Some people are very negative though and it doesn’t always work to be prepared and wait it out. Some people just want to disagree regardless of whether or not you are right.
Hi Brandon,
Yea I agree sometimes, some people want to just disagree because they feel inferior, protect their pride, show that they know everything among other things. The best thing we can do is such situation is to respect their opinion and agree to disagree.