ALT The overall goal of criticism and self-criticism is to strengthen us for victory in the class struggle. Criticism gives us a way to consciously transform ourselves into new women and men, persons capable of waging the long and bitter fight to build a socialist society. There are two ways in which criticism can help us meet this ambitious goal. First, it helps us sort out ideas that serve our oppressors from ideas that serve the working people. When I really get hold of the fact that a particular attitude of mine holds back the struggle, I become politically motivated to change my ways, which is why we say that criticism and self-criticism is a form of class struggle in the realm of ideas. Second, criticism gives us a method for struggling to reach agreement on what we should do and why, and on how we should organize ourselves to carry out the work. So criticism helps us see the difference between right ideas and wrong ideas, and it helps us unite around what’s correct.
ALT To summarize: a lot of defensiveness originates not in resistance to the content of the criticism, but rather in resistance to what the receiver hears as the intent behind the criticism. When someone believes that a criticism is really a personal attack, demand, threat, or guilt-trip, defensiveness comes to the fore. On the other hand, some defensiveness is rooted not in misinterpretation, but rather in self-interest. If I’m afraid I have something to lose by changing, I may fall into individualistic self-protection rather than wanting to really understand what is best for the whole. This kind of defensiveness can only be overcome through political education, coming to see the reasons for guarding the interests of the people above my own individual comfort.
