posted by Michelle Griep
It happens to everyone eventually. The one-star review, the one that slashes you to the bone and leaves you bleeding out in an unseemly mess right there on the sidewalk for everyone to walk by and go, "Eew!" And even if you're not a writer, criticism comes in other ways, shapes and forms. It's never easy to hear that you're a loser, and it's even harder to not respond.

But that's exactly what you must do, little cowboy.

Do not write a rebuttal.

One of the worst things you can do is fire off a snarky comment as a counter attack, getting all defensive and angry. Less is more, and in this case, nothing is more. Why? Because you'll simply draw even more attention to the negative review.

Same is true for non-writers dealing with any kind of up-in-your-face rejection. The best response is Biblical: turn the other cheek. Of course that's not easy to do, because a little piece of you is bruised and leaking ego-juice. It's called dying to self, folks. But that's what adults do.

The question is who is the adult . . . the attacker or the one who grants mercy and grace?