Evening star., 1919-03-22
USEFUL FAULTFINDING.
a Form of Criticism That Often
Produces Good Results.
F. Fl Young, in the Providence -Journal.

F. H Young. in the Providence Josrnal.
One determined editorial optinist
remarked the other day: I'VE don't
want to believe that there is any
such thing as constructive. fanltfind-
ing" g.
That shows a fairly popular point
of view. There is Discrimination to
admit that fau,tfinding can be con-
structiVe. or that it is anything but
a selfish and deplorable indulgence
that accom- plishes nothing but the
mental and spiritual discomfort of
those that hear it, And yet ii is
probable that the majority Of people
find fault with conditions with more
or less regularity. How many ARE
there who each night are able to say.
, facts: Il, have been conscious onAy
of the good in life today and have
found fault with nothing?
The truth of the matter is that
faultfinding is perfectly rational
and common-sense procedure, and
progress and betterment We have
constantly to exercise the critical fac
ulty with regard to our own con-
duct, or We get nowhere. The man
who is never seIf-critical is bound
to deteridrate, and if he is not dis
he is sure to develop into a weak
worm bruised by many heels T.
There is much to be- said in behalf
of critics and faulthndersl. The two
words are by no means synonymous.
although there is a tendency 70. con-
fuse them. Criticism is really. MOTH
ing more nor less than appraisal.
which takes merit into account as
we'll as faults. It's proper function
| is to strike a balance and determine
the preponderance of faults or merits.
BY this process some idea of inherent
values should be gained and they can
be gained only by this deliberate
measurement.
The indispensa bility of criticism in
all matters is obvious. F'aultfnding
| is merely one side Of criticism, the
/ more natural side. perhaps. because
of the most beneficent instin cts that
the reaso niig human animal has been
endowed with for the very reason
I that it is protective. Without it the
race might have been choked to death
| by It's growing insidious evils ages
ago. Progress has been possible not
only because of the philosophers who
discerned the good in life and set
their faces toward 1T, but because OF
/ the equally wise men who devoted
themselves to finding fault with ex-
+ listing conditions and raising a clamor
! Fanltfnding, of course, is wholly
I destructive. or, at least. it is aimed
| at destruction; but that is almost in
| variably a prerequisite to construc-
| tive effort. The principle comes into
I everything In which the human race
| Is concerned from the wrestling of, a
| subsistence from the earth to the
| fntricacies Of character development
k.PGonle have to find the faults in
!, themselves before they can hope to
! get very TAR. and. unless they are re-
| 1entlessly alert to the faults in con-
| ditions they are in danger of starv-
| ing to death. Faults in national gov
| ernment may destroy a whole people
| If they are not found and eradicated
Faultfirding is the first essential OF
successful agriculture. The weeds
must be destroyed before good crops
! can be expected -
f! Why, then. should we denounce
{ faultfinding because it is not con-
! structive? ALL of us are continu-
ously finding fault, more or less. and
on our success in. finding the fault
! and destroying It depends mostly ous
! successful development. So in the
| end it appears that faultfinding is
| essentially one of our most construc-
tive activities. One of our worst
i faults rs the hypocritical practice OF
| finding fault with faultfinding.