This had happened with me a few years ago when I met a person who made my condition serious by her behavior. She was my neighbor and the wife of my husband's senior colleague.We lived in the same building. I do not want to disclose her name so I will call her Mrs.X here. The lady was suffering from a disease called 'Humiliating other people by unnecessary criticism'. Though I could not recognize her disease in the beginning and took her and her criticism seriously and in a very genuine way.
I remember that it was a small get together of ladies at my house.I served the sweets and snacks which I had made after long hours of devoted cooking. While everyone was enjoying eating the items I
cooked and liked them a lot, dear Mrs.X asked after having four or five of them, '' Have you made these Laddoos (Indian sweet) with rice flour!? It is not having the taste of Laddoo.''(with a facial expression of 'you have made a huge mistake!')
I was feeling very bad that I served such bad Laddoos for my distinguished guest and was filled with guilt though I didn't make the laddoos with rice flour. This was the first time when I was victimized by Mrs.X.
One day she met me at the school where my kids studied .She was there to get the admission form for her niece. I went to school to pickup my youngest daughter ,I was just five minutes late because I had to withdraw some cash and as the A.T.M machine was not working well , I got late by a few minutes. 'And that was my horrible mistake.'
''You should have come on time, you are late, it will leave a negative impact on your daughter. She will never understand the importance of time in future.'', said Mrs.X .
"How bad I was as a mother , I was ruining my own child!'' , I was catching the disease!
''I don't think so...", Mrs.X said , "Look at her hair , what has she done with it! , it is looking like she has got a mountain on her head!" .
This time I really felt bad , I felt bad for the poor bride because she was really looking beautiful.
After that meeting I realized that Mrs.X had a habit to criticize other people in order to demean them. Later I came to know from my friends that Mrs.X behaved in this way with everybody and that is why people who knew her well didn't take her seriously. After that I had many encounters with Mrs.X but I was determined not to take her criticism seriously.
Now when I remember those encounters with Mrs.X , a smile comes on my face remembering how foolish I was that I became a victim of a person like Mrs.X.
So my friends, one thing we must have in our minds that healthy criticism is good for us and we should welcome it. But unnecessary criticism is not worthy of being accepted.
- Aunt Mary
