Fear doesn’t lead to anger: expectations do.
You can either ally with your critics, or see them as trouble. The former will lead you to growth, while the latter will lock you into a bubble.
I don’t agree with Yoda (or George Lucas, for that matter): fear does not lead to anger, it leads to anxiety.
Anger has another source: expectations.
Fear of losing a relationship leads to anxiety; being left at the altar on your wedding day leads to anger.
Fear of missing out on your friends makes you anxious; being ignored by them makes you angry.
Fear of unemployment is a torture for sure; but it never brings as much anger as getting fired while expecting a raise.
👉🏼 Anger is a sign of high expectations.
Your social media accounts and review pages are a habitat of real people with free will and fluctuating feelings.
You’re managing a society there.
It’s true that people always expect a bit more, even when it doesn’t make sense.
But it’s part of the job.
No gardener ever complains that the plants grow: he just prunes. That’s the job.
The more your product or service matters for people, the more probable there will be angry customers, and negative comments.
Because they want to stay.
If you’re dispensable, people will simply leave. They will hardly bother asking you to be better.
Anger means opportunity.
It’s an opportunity to show that you can smile in the face of criticism.
If it’s public, it’s better. You can show others that you’re good at what you are doing. You can solve — or at least try to solve — a customer’s problem.
You don’t have to be right all the time, but you have to try every time.
👉🏼 Don’t worry: nobody thinks that your brand can ever appear perfect — except you.
When someone is disappointed, you might win them over.
If you think they don’t understand you, you can express yourself better.
If you think they have to understand you, quit doing work for real people.
If you stop getting negative comments one day, you’ve probably lost the most valuable thing your brand has: people’s expectations.
You can either ally with your critics, or see them as trouble. The former will lead you to growth, while the latter will lock you into a bubble that will burst eventually.
