You said "people" in reference to people who talk about you based on your job or job performance. Those "people" can be either co-workers or non-co-workers. But if you're talking about people with ordinary jobs - many if not most of which aren't under public scrutiny - where else is the criticism going to come other than co-workers?
By the way, the majority of my career has been as a newspaper reporter. My work was public, so people could criticize it if they didn't like it. Some did. But I recognize this, which is why I tried to do the best I could. Do I like criticism or getting cussed out because people don't want to talk to me? No. But it's part of the job. And if you can't handle that, you have to get another job.
As for cyber bullying, let's make a distinction. Criticizing a person's job performance, especially if he is in a public position like, say, a football player is
NOT cyber bullying. Saying ugly things about Dak's deceased mom
IS.
While I abhor cyber bullying, I also don't want to create a climate where people can't legitimately critique or engage in constructive criticism without it being labeled cyber bullying. That is simply unrealistic,
ESPECIALLY when you also seek fans to support you in your business.
Dak's and any other players' performance on the job is fair game for criticism because they are appealing to fans to support them and watch their games, which contribute to their
enormous salaries and sponsorships.
What's ironic here is that Dak can encourage the fans throwing objects at the refs, who were only doing their jobs. But he can't handle fans criticizing him because he was only doing his job - and poorly at that based on the last game he played.
Moreover, there is a reality we must face as people, i.e., as much as we want to rid the world vice, corruption, evil and bullying ...
WE WILL NOT. So we must prepare ourselves to live in a world where despite our admonition, people are going to be bullies.
Our culture, with all its good intentions, is leaning to a side where we don't want
ANYONE to say
ANYTHING bad about our performance, and that is
UNREALISTIC because it doesn't teach other qualities like long-suffering, patience and endurance, qualities people need to learn to live in this world.
Dak (and his family) must realize this (assuming this is their issue) because not only does he have to live with disappointments in life and people critiquing his job performances, but Dak gets to walk away at any time and sit back and relax for the rest of his days, while many of the poor shmoes who watch him are stuck in dead-end jobs or broken families and can't escape or get the reprieve Dak can.
So, to me, it's not an either/or, i.e., cutting out all criticism vs. totally supporting Dak by not criticizing him at all. There is room for the middle and for balance.
And, in his case, he plays a sport that invites fandom - which includes praise and scorn - a sport that compensates him richly and a sport that upon his conclusion in it will allow him to either continue to engage the public or withdraw to a desert island and never have to hear another word of criticism again.
Most of us aren't that fortunate and don't have those options.
