bhaskar saikia

Most of us fear criticism. We take it as a personal attack, a sign of failure, or proof that we have done something wrong. But what if criticism is actually a sign that we are on the right path? What if being criticized means that we are no longer ordinary—that we are stepping out of the safe circle where comfort and conformity live?

I have always believed that silence is more dangerous than criticism. When no one questions or challenges us, it often means we are blending into the background—living a life too ordinary to provoke thought or reaction. But when people begin to criticize us, it’s usually because we’ve done something that stirs attention, breaks routine, or challenges the norms that most people quietly accept.

Criticism, then, is not a curse—it’s a compass. It shows that you’re moving, that you’re pushing beyond the limits of what’s familiar. Every person who has ever tried to do something different—artists, scientists, thinkers, dreamers—has faced criticism. It’s the world’s way of testing your resolve. The moment you stop being criticized, perhaps you’ve stopped growing.

Yes, criticism can sting. But hidden beneath those words of doubt or disapproval is often a quiet acknowledgment that you’re doing something others couldn’t or wouldn’t dare. You’re crossing boundaries, experimenting with ideas, and defying mediocrity.

You may not achieve greatness overnight, but as long as you continue to challenge the ordinary, you’ll never live—or die—like a common person. Because the road to an extraordinary life always passes through the valley of criticism.

So the next time someone criticizes you, don’t shrink. Smile. It means you’re alive, evolving, and doing something that matters.