The "Hidden" Reason Why You Shouldn't Write Bad Things About Others

"That's not what I meant!"


If you write bad things about people, you will almost always fail. You won't get the reaction you were hoping for.


It's too late to make excuses like, "That statement had this intention, no, actually I was just jealous of that person."


I did this too when I was in my 20s. I once harshly criticized someone I considered a mentor in writing. I said things like, "They only talk about other people and don't write about their own experiences," "They only say pretty things," and "It's cliché." Wow, how scary. Looking back, it was just pure jealousy.


It reached the person's ears, but that wasn't really the problem. It was the same as a kitten trying to pick a fight with a lion.


I was no match for them in terms of reach, fame, or the entertainment value of my writing. I was just a kitten meowing loudly. The sadness of only being able to bite through criticism. I should have just competed with my writing instead.


So. The problem was my mentor's fans.


I was completely ostracized. It was my own fault. From a fan's perspective, if someone they believe in is being attacked, of course they're going to be furious.


But I didn't understand that at the time. If you speak ill of others or criticize them, it comes back like a boomerang. Only those prepared to be cut should draw their sword.


The art of bad-mouthing has existed for a long time.


Beat Takeshi, Danshi Tatekawa, Hikaru Ota of Bakusho Mondai, Hiroyuki Ariyoshi, Matsuko Deluxe, and Westland are all known for their sharp tongues. If we're talking about writers, there's Nancy Seki. I wonder if there are other sharp-tongued columnists and essayists.


Why is bad-mouthing bad? Well, because it's unpleasant, and it actually requires an incredible amount of writing skill to write about it in an interesting way. It's a thorny path.


If you just write it normally, it's nothing more than an attack. Making people think "Hmm," or "Ah, I get that," or "That's interesting" is a top-tier art.


When we do it just to seek empathy, people just go, "Huh?" or "What?" It just becomes a free-for-all of complaints.


People who are good at bad-mouthing or criticism are performing an art for their audience. They don't actually think badly of the person. Art requires love, and art cannot be mastered overnight.


《Conclusion》
The art of bad-mouthing is an advanced technique.


The membership-based writing club (online salon), After-School Writing Club, is currently recruiting members. [Prices will increase from July, so joining in June is a better deal]

[Image provided by: Sachiwa]
[1170 days since the salon started]

◆ Recent updates from salon members

Kiyofumi Noto
A money expert for the 100-year life era who loves the Japanese spirit (his 6th book is now on sale!). What is "US Treasury bond investment" for Japanese people? Number of channel subscribers: 10,000 people! Total viewers: 1 million people!
[Money School] Noto-Chan - YouTube Channel