Feedback Attack — Iron Sharpens Iron

Daily Meditation 1,055–1/24/2025

There is a bit of Biblical verse in Proverbs 27:17 which I always like and often remind myself of:

“As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens another.”

It’s quite easy to feel as if feedback from someone is an attack on us, our skills, personality and so on. But it usually isn’t.

Consider it this way:

You have a friend of 10+ years who’s always quite late. 15 minutes is the norm. Finally, the two of you are running late to a movie and you’ll now miss the first bit…
You playfully but honestly tell them “You know, George, you really are bad about being tardy. I know you don’t really mean it. You should consider working on that, bro.”

They respond by getting sour and closed off. They huff, “Yeah, well,” and cross their arms.

You 100% meant it from a good place and they 100% took it to heart.

Now, return to yourself, today, and consider when your spouse “nags” and says “I wish you’d just take the trash out when full instead of waiting,” or your mum says “You should pick up a book a bit more, don’t you think?”

We act the same as our friend:
The feedback is perceived as an attack.

In closing — feedback is GOOD! Your loved ones giving you such feedback are trying to sharpen you, and it’s only up to you to let them be the whetstone instead of being a victim.