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Leading A Spiritual Life

             Criticism  is a process  rather than an  end.  It
          entails discussion and discussion leads to intellectual
          development. It is intellectual development that makes
          a man a superman. Indeed,  through the process of
          criticism we embark on an intellectual journey, trying
          to find answers to our questions. Criticism, opening the
          closed doors of a mind, enhances the human thinking
          capacity. As such, criticism  is always good.  There is
          nothing bad in criticism.
             Criticism promotes thinking along new and different
          lines. It is the result of thinking in a fresh and original
          way and,  as such,  it  is  a healthy factor in a society.
          Someone has rightly said that when all think alike, no
          one thinks very much.

             Critical  thinking  is  constructive thinking.  It is  a
          phenomenon  of  creativity. And  creative  thinking is
          the only way to intellectual progress. Creative thinkers
          are  always able  to  discover new things,  but creative
          thinking cannot be developed without critical thinking.
          You should, therefore accept criticism with a tranquil
          mind and you will soon discover that your critic was an
          intellectual enabler.
             The  greatest  weakness  of every man or woman is
          that he or she lives within the boundaries of his or her
          own mind. This kind of thinking tends to induce self-
          conditioning, which is not always of a positive nature.
          No one, except your critic, can de-condition your mind.
          That is, he points out those negative aspects of your
          intellectual  make-up  that had  hitherto  been  hidden
          from you. Everyone must, therefore, welcome the critic.
          The critic is the only one who can help you to rid your

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