My students recently completed an assignment where they had to bring in a media clip (audio or visual) that reflects some personal belief.  One student shared the following clip from Pixar’s Ratatouille.  The scene that always stuck out to me was Ego’s (the critic) flashback to his childhood, so I was pleasantly surprised by this clip.

For some (like my student), it’s all about rising above the criticism of others.  For those of us further down the journey, it’s about wielding the weapon of criticism well.  It’s a constant struggle, choosing between picking apart and building up.  And in a world where all kinds of people say all kinds of things demanding some kind of response, sifting through things can be difficult.  So when we find good stuff?  Ego gets it right.  And the clip is a reminder that maybe we can, too.