Can Rocky Gerung Become a "Good Boy" as a Wantimpres?

Can Rocky Gerung Become a "Good Boy" as a Wantimpres?

IN SIMPLE TERMS, advice and criticism are often treated as the same. However, epistemically, morally, and practically, advice and criticism stand on very different foundations.

Advice is born out of a desire for improvement, while criticism arises from a judgmental perspective. This difference is important as it shapes the direction of a conversation.

Advice asks, “How can this situation become better?” while criticism asks, “What is wrong with this situation?” The two are not always opposed, but they are not identical either.

The word criticism comes from the Greek kritikos, which means “able to judge,” “able to differentiate,” or “able to discern.”

Its root is krinein, meaning to separate, discriminate, decide, or adjudicate. From this root, various terms like criterion (criteria), crisis (a crisis requiring a decision), and critique are derived.

From its inception, criticism was not designed to build solutions. It distinguishes between what is deemed right and what is deemed wrong, between what is considered good and what is considered bad.

Criticism is an evaluative tool. It operates like an analytical knife that dissects a situation to reveal its weaknesses.

Therefore, a critic is essentially a maker of lists of faults. They inventory flaws, expose contradictions, unveil inconsistencies, and highlight deviations.

The sharper the critic, the more detailed the list of errors they can point out.

Herein lies the different character of advice. The term advice comes from the Arabic al-nushu, whose original meaning is to purify something from mixtures that render it inauthentic.

Advice does not stem from a desire to judge, but from a drive to improve. An advisor may see the same flaws as a critic, yet they do not dwell on those flaws. They take a step further by proposing possible solutions.

Advice always has a future orientation. It does not merely snapshot past failures but strives to pave the way to a better state.

Consequently, the main element of advice is not the identification of errors but an offer of action.Criticism states, “This is wrong,” and stops there. Advice says, “This is wrong, and here’s what can be done to make it right.”

Criticism asserts, “This system is problematic.” Advice asserts, “This system is problematic, and here are the steps that can be taken to fix it.”

This difference may seem simple, but the impact is substantial. Criticism can produce awareness. Advice produces direction.