Q: This is the first step to being able to deal with criticism. You have to know where the feedback is coming from and understand the intentions of the person who is giving it to you. If it's a teacher or a superior, then chances are the person only wants you to perform better; but when it's coming from a supposed friend, a frenemy, or even an enemy, then you have to wonder whether or not the person has your best interest in mind. If you're sure that the criticism is completely invalid, totally off, and only meant to hurt you, then you can skip down to the second section to learn how to deal with destructive criticism. Constructive criticism is, ideally, meant to help you. Destructive criticism is only intended to cause hurt. Try to focus on the message as well as the delivery. It's hard to see that a person really is telling you something legitimate that you can work on if he or she is yelling at you or just acting like you're a nuisance. This is a great way to deal with criticism. If you want to be able to take a little bit of feedback, then you can't keep thinking that you can do no wrong. Nobody's perfect, so if you think you're perfect, then you're nobody. (Har, har.) Okay, but seriously: every person has flaws, and if you don't see any of yours, then you're not analyzing yourself as closely as you should. Make a list of your 10 biggest flaws. That's right. 10! Can you think of 10 things that need improvement? How about 15? This exercise isn't meant to make you feel bad about yourself; it's only meant to make you see that you have room for improvement. Think about all of the people you know. Can you name a single one who is perfect who isn't a movie star? And remember that even most movie stars have some flaws, however visibly small they may be. If you want to know how to best deal with criticism, then you can't take it personally. If your boss says you've been a little less productive than usual lately, it's not because he thinks you're fat and lazy; it's because he wants you, his employee, to step up your game. If your best friend says that you have a tendency to zone out when she's talking to you, don't think that she's calling you a horrible friend and a zombie; she just wants you to communicate a little better. If the criticism is constructive, then it's intended to guide you and to help you improve as a person, not to bring you down and make you feel inadequate. If your teacher has given you rather critical feedback on a paper, it's not because she thinks you're stupid or annoying in class; it's because she thinks you have some work to do when it comes to making an argument. If you always find yourself crying, getting defensive, and feeling generally upset when someone gives you what was supposed to be helpful feedback, then you have to start thickening your skin. Work on accepting your flaws and being able to hear about some areas where you can improve. If you never improve, then you'll be flat-lining, and you don't want that, do you? Try to focus on the message and its intention to help you instead of focusing on all of the "mean" or "hurtful" things that were said to you. Think about where the message is coming from. Chances are, your boss didn't just send you a terse email to be a jerk or to make you feel bad. He just probably wants you to do your job better. Control your emotions. You don't have to tear up every time someone says a negative word. Work on your reputation. If people think you are sensitive, they will be less likely to tell you the truth, and you don't want people to feel like they're walking around on eggshells whenever they talk to you.
A: Know the difference between destructive and constructive criticism. Accept that you're not perfect. Don't take it personally. Work on being less sensitive.

Q: There are thousands of free games out there, and this category goes way beyond app stores. Both major developers and independent studios have been exploring the free-to-play model. Keep searching, and you may find a favorite game that matches your interests without trying to nickel and dime you to death. Some of the most famous free games include the battle arena League of Legends, the collectible card game Hearthstone, the first-person shooter Team Fortress 2, and the Diablo-like Path of Exile. These technically fall into the free-to-play category, but there are so many of these they deserve a separate mention. If you are at all interested in online role-playing games, there's probably something out there you can spend hundreds of hours on for free. From Lord of the Rings Online to Star Wars: The Old Republic to the first twenty levels of World of Warcraft, you have many options available. Unlike free-to-play games, these don't even have an obnoxious message trying to convince you to purchase in-game perks. It's almost the default now for games to become free eventually, although you may have to wait a few years after the release date. Browse huge collections of these games at the following sites: The GOG free games section occasionally includes more high-profile games than other sites. Reddit free games and Reddit efreebies. EA's Origin game store client might be a little desperate for users. Visit their ongoing promotions and download the free Origin software. Check back regularly to see which games are up for grabs, as these rotate frequently: The "On the House" promotion offers a full, free game with no strings attached. The game is typically a few years old, but that doesn't mean it's not fun. There are often several "Game Time" promotions running at once. These are also full games, but each one gives you a limited amount of time to play. This is great for trying out a game you're interested in, but not so much if you want to play through the whole thing. The most famous and generous promotions in the indie game world come from Humble Bundle. With multiple "bundles" of games available each week and a "pay what you want" price tag for most of the games on offer, it's hard to find better value. If you truly need it to be free, pay one cent for every dozen games and visit the "take a penny" at the grocery store.
A:
Find free-to-play games. Play an MMO. Play completely free games. Get the current free PC game at Origin. Visit sites like Humble Bundle.