--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So the challenge, as you contemplate your…" description: "\"“So the challenge, as you contemplate your next opportunity to be boring or remarkable, is to answer these two questions: (1) \"If I get criticized for ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/seth-godin-152_feeling-bad_so-the-challenge-as-you-contemplate-your_1054547.jpg" --- # So the challenge, as you contemplate your next opportunity… ![“So the challenge, as you contemplate your next opportunity to be boring or remarkable, is to answer these two questions: (1) "If I get criticized for this, will I suffer any measurable impact? Will I lose my job, get hit upside the head with a softball bat, or lose important friendships?" If the…” quote by Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/seth-godin-152_feeling-bad_so-the-challenge-as-you-contemplate-your_1054547.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/seth-godin-152_feeling-bad_so-the-challenge-as-you-contemplate-your_1054547.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/seth-godin-152_feeling-bad_so-the-challenge-as-you-contemplate-your_1054547.jpg) > ““So the challenge, as you contemplate your next opportunity to be boring or remarkable, is to answer these two questions: (1) "If I get criticized for this, will I suffer any measurable impact? Will I lose my job, get hit upside the head with a softball bat, or lose important friendships?" If the only side effect of the criticism is that you will feel bad about the criticism, then you have to compare that bad feeling with the benefits you'll get from actually doing something worth doing. Being remarkable is exciting, fun, profitable, and great for your career. Feeling bad wears off. And then, once you've compared the bad feeling and the benefits, and you've sold yourself on taking the remarkable path, answer this one: (2) How can I create something that critics will criticize?”” [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Weigh the potential impact of criticism against the benefits of taking bold actions; if only emotional discomfort, proceed. **In simple terms:** Assess risk of criticism versus reward; act if only feelings suffer. Key Takeaway Take calculated risks despite possible criticism. Themes career risk criticism reward decisionmaking Mood motivational practical Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - career moves - creative projects - public speaking - entrepreneurship Key Concepts cost‑benefit analysis psychology of fear Questions to Reflect On - What would you gain by ignoring critics? - How can you turn criticism into improvement? A Different Perspective Criticism can have hidden professional consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-criticism-409387/) [Create Critics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create-critics-2541212/) [Criticism Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism-feel-1367414/) [Criticized Suffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticized-suffer-2541214/) [Effect Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effect-criticism-2541213/) [Feeling bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-bad/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) ## Related quotes > [When you are a player, you don't really understand the criticism when you feel like you played pretty well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-flacco/when-you-are-a-player-you-don-t-really-understand-the-criticism-when/) [Joe Flacco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-flacco/) > [The press criticism made me feel at times like I was someone who had landed from outer space and, to my parents, being in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/the-press-criticism-made-me-feel-at-times-like-i-was-someone-who-had/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [When I have criticism that I feel is unfair, the rejection does disturb me, but it also strengthens me. I used to get turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-berkoff/when-i-have-criticism-that-i-feel-is-unfair-the-rejection-does/) [Steven Berkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-berkoff/) > [There's people that like you and there's people that don't like you. I love it because I love the negative criticism because I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormega/there-s-people-that-like-you-and-there-s-people-that-don-t-like-you-i/) [Cormega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormega/) > [In fact, I often accept criticism because I feel it helps me to get better and get stronger. And I hardly ever remember the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudio-bravo/in-fact-i-often-accept-criticism-because-i-feel-it-helps-me-to-get/) [Claudio Bravo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudio-bravo/) > [Bad criticism has followed things like comic books or TV, and they put down a medium. A medium cannot be inherently good or bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-stoll/bad-criticism-has-followed-things-like-comic-books-or-tv-and-they-put/) [Corey Stoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-stoll/) > [A bad short story or novel or poem leaves one comparatively calm because it does not exist, unless it gets a fake prestige throughbeing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/a-bad-short-story-or-novel-or-poem-leaves-one-comparatively-calm/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [It's a healthy thing to get some bad criticism. I'm still here and I'm fine, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keeley-hawes/it-s-a-healthy-thing-to-get-some-bad-criticism-i-m-still-here-and-i-m/) [Keeley Hawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keeley-hawes/) > [Bad criticism recites rote arguments. The shame of rote arguments isn't just that they're cliches, though they are, but that they tend to hide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dean/bad-criticism-recites-rote-arguments-the-shame-of-rote-arguments-isn/) [Michelle Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dean/) > [Guys like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, they'll take bad criticism in a good way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-payton/guys-like-kobe-bryant-lebron-james-kevin-garnett-they-ll-take-bad/) [Gary Payton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-payton/) > [When I first prepared this particular talk... I realized that my usual approach is usually critical. That is, a lot of the things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/when-i-first-prepared-this-particular-talk-i-realized-that-my-usual/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [“The real secret, though, is that nobody belongs, whether they are natives or not. After expulsion from paradise all humans are in exile. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-codrescu/the-real-secret-though-is-that-nobody-belongs-whether-they-are/) [Andrei Codrescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-codrescu/) > [If you're ever feeling bad about yourself, spend the day at the DMV. You'll feel pretty good about yourself,but hate the rest of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-re-ever-feeling-bad-about-yourself-spend-the-day-at-the-dmv/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All the pain Nothing left to gain Feeling bad but put on a brave faceà This is why my emotions are this wayà](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-davies/all-the-pain-nothing-left-to-gain-feeling-bad-but-put-on-a-brave-face/) [Ryan Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-davies/) > [We don't need to complicate all the "reasons" behind our emotions. It's much simpler than that. Two categories .. good feelings, bad feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/we-don-t-need-to-complicate-all-the-reasons-behind-our-emotions-it-s/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) ## More by Seth Godin > [“You weren't born to be a cog in the giant industrial machine. You were trained to become a cog. There's an alternative available to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/you-weren-t-born-to-be-a-cog-in-the-giant-industrial-machine-you-were/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The easier it is to quantify, the less it's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-easier-it-is-to-quantify-the-less-it-s-worth/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Developing expertise or assets that are not easily copied is essential; otherwise you're just a middleman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/developing-expertise-or-assets-that-are-not-easily-copied-is/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Leadership is a choice. It's the choice not to do nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/leadership-is-a-choice-it-s-the-choice-not-to-do-nothing/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The next thing you do today will be the most important thing on your agenda, because, after all, you're doing it next. Well, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-next-thing-you-do-today-will-be-the-most-important-thing-on-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I look at Starbucks, Howard Schultz has made many brilliant decisions, and one of the things that they did was they invented the third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-look-at-starbucks-howard-schultz-has-made-many-brilliant-decisions/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Be relentlessly generous, without focusing on when it will come back to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/be-relentlessly-generous-without-focusing-on-when-it-will-come-back/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The public square is more public than ever, but minds are rarely changed in 140 character bursts and by selfies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-public-square-is-more-public-than-ever-but-minds-are-rarely/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Making an average pitch to average people, or having an average gala for average people isn't going to scale anymore. You've got to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/making-an-average-pitch-to-average-people-or-having-an-average-gala/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Our job is to make change. Our job is to connect to people, to interact with them in a way that leaves them better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/our-job-is-to-make-change-our-job-is-to-connect-to-people-to-interact/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“Life is actually far better than it is in the movies. And it takes longer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/life-is-actually-far-better-than-it-is-in-the-movies-and-it-takes/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I don't think there's a shortage of remarkable ideas. I think your business has plenty of great opportunities to do great things. Nope, what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-shortage-of-remarkable-ideas-i-think-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The mirror we hold up to the person next to us is one of the most important pictures she will ever see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-mirror-we-hold-up-to-the-person-next-to-us-is-one-of-the-most/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [If you're a marketer who doesn't know how to invent, design, influence, adapt, and ultimately discard products, then you're no longer a marketer. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-you-re-a-marketer-who-doesn-t-know-how-to-invent-design-influence/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) [Explore all 1,110 Seth Godin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## More Feeling bad quotes > [We don't need to complicate all the "reasons" behind our emotions. It's much simpler than that. Two categories .. good feelings, bad feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/we-don-t-need-to-complicate-all-the-reasons-behind-our-emotions-it-s/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [All the pain Nothing left to gain Feeling bad but put on a brave faceà This is why my emotions are this wayà](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-davies/all-the-pain-nothing-left-to-gain-feeling-bad-but-put-on-a-brave-face/) [Ryan Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-davies/) > [If you're ever feeling bad about yourself, spend the day at the DMV. You'll feel pretty good about yourself,but hate the rest of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-re-ever-feeling-bad-about-yourself-spend-the-day-at-the-dmv/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The real secret, though, is that nobody belongs, whether they are natives or not. After expulsion from paradise all humans are in exile. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-codrescu/the-real-secret-though-is-that-nobody-belongs-whether-they-are/) [Andrei Codrescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-codrescu/) > [Forgiveness is not something that you do for someone else; it's something you do for yourself, To forgive is not to condone, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-beaver/forgiveness-is-not-something-that-you-do-for-someone-else-it-s/) [Jim Beaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-beaver/) > [“We feel bad about feeling bad. We feel guilty for feeling guilty. We get angry about getting angry. We get anxious about feeling anxious.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/we-feel-bad-about-feeling-bad-we-feel-guilty-for-feeling-guilty-we/) [Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/) > [What I ask for is time...i need to go away find myself and become happy with myself. I'm absolutely sure it wont change my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-i-ask-for-is-time-i-need-to-go-away-find-myself-and-become-happy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > ['Comfy,' that's one of the worst words! I just picture a woman feeling bad, with a big bottle of alcohol, really puffy. It's really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-louboutin/comfy-that-s-one-of-the-worst-words-i-just-picture-a-woman-feeling/) [Christian Louboutin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-louboutin/) > [Feeling bad is caused by an imbalance. Don't lash out at the world. It makes you more unstable. Look for the cause in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/feeling-bad-is-caused-by-an-imbalance-don-t-lash-out-at-the-world-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For a moment he felt good about this. A moment or two later he felt bad about feeling good about it. Then he felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/for-a-moment-he-felt-good-about-this-a-moment-or-two-later-he-felt/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [People always talk about good time rock and roll, Chuck Berry or whatever, like this liberating force for feeling good. But what I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/people-always-talk-about-good-time-rock-and-roll-chuck-berry-or/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [I often think if you have time to sit around the house feeling bad for yourself, you have time to tutor a child. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-often-think-if-you-have-time-to-sit-around-the-house-feeling-bad/) [Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/) > [“By now I was feeling the shame but also defiance. Like here, I'm carrying the banner for all of you who cut off a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/by-now-i-was-feeling-the-shame-but-also-defiance-like-here-i-m/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [I had a lot of challenges starting school, and my dad says I would come home every day crying and feeling bad about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilhan-omar/i-had-a-lot-of-challenges-starting-school-and-my-dad-says-i-would/) [Ilhan Omar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilhan-omar/) > [We're more inclined to do evil when we're feeling bad. Start doing good to start feeling better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-re-more-inclined-to-do-evil-when-we-re-feeling-bad-start-doing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 179 Feeling bad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-bad/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“So the challenge, as you contemplate your next opportunity to be boring or remarkable, is to answer these two questions: (1) \"If I get criticized for this, will I suffer any measurable impact? Will I lose my job, get hit upside the head with a softball bat, or lose important friendships?\" If the only side effect of the criticism is that you will feel bad about the criticism, then you have to compare that bad feeling with the benefits you'll get from actually doing something worth doing. Being remarkable is exciting, fun, profitable, and great for your career. Feeling bad wears off. 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