Unhelpful criticism is a common occurrence that can cause harm to ourselves and others. By applying the Twelve Nidanas of dependent origination, we can see how unhelpful criticism arises and perpetuates. The Twelve Nidanas demonstrate that the cycle begins with ignorance (avijja), which leads to mental formations (sankhara), consciousness (viññana), name and form (nama-rupa), the six sense bases (salayatana), contact (phassa), feeling (vedana), craving (tanha), clinging (upadana), becoming (bhava), birth (jati), and eventually old age and death (jara-marana).

To break the cycle, we can apply mindfulness and wisdom at every step. We can cultivate awareness and understanding of our emotional responses and the impact of our words on others. We can also work towards developing positive mental habits and avoiding negative patterns. Through mindfulness practice, we can become more aware of our cognitive biases, reducing our tendency to react with criticism towards others.

We can cultivate a more balanced and compassionate outlook, avoiding negative or critical perceptions of ourselves and others. Developing equanimity and acceptance towards our feelings, we can reduce our attachment to pleasant feelings and aversion towards unpleasant ones. By practicing renunciation and reducing our attachment and aversion to objects of craving, we can weaken our desire to control or change situations through criticism.

By cultivating positive intentions and actions, we can redirect our habitual patterns towards more skillful and wholesome habits, reducing the harmful impact of our own unskillful behaviors. Through breaking the cycle of unhelpful criticism and promoting positive habits and intentions, we can reduce suffering and promote well-being for ourselves and others.