Should we critisise people or the opinions they have?

I think that we should criticise them or their opinions, but not in a way that ruins their reputation or puts them down.

Firstly, I would like to say that criticism actually improves a person. When someone receives criticism, he or she will try his/her best to change for the better. For example, if my friend is always forgetful, I will tell him that he is too forgetful and should change. He will then try not to be forgetful. Without criticism, no one would know his/her own weaknesses, and there would not be great people.

However, I feel that criticism that is too harsh may hurt a person's feelings. Once, when I was watching a singing contest, the judges were criticising a man so harshly that the man started to fume and scold the judges! Sometimes, criticism causes strife between friends and enmity to develop. Thus, we will have to watch what we say very carefully, or else we may hurt other people's feelings.

One example of criticising harshly is openly criticising someone. If you criticise someone in public, they will "lose face". Most of the time, they will hate you for causing them so much embarrassment. Criticising someone in public also defeats the true purpose of criticism. Criticism is to inform that particular person of his/her mistake. It is not to let the whole world know that he/she has made a mistake.

When trying to criticise someone, you should do it in a way that makes the person think that you really care for him/her. You must talk to him/her gently and try not to seem like you are criticising them, but instead like you are advising them. This will make you criticism/advice more easily accepted by the other party.