Babe Ruth famously said the loudest boos come from the cheap seats. It's become shorthand for dismissing criticism from people who seem less invested, less knowledgeable, or less successful than you.
But there's another way to view those cheap seats.
Sometimes the people sitting there aren't there because they don't care. They're there because it's all they can afford. They may be surrounded by sceptics with no skin in the game, but their motives are honest.
They're not booing from a place of comfort or detachment. They're booing because they spent their hard-earned money to be there, and they're not getting what they were promised.
Be careful where you get your feedback from – and where you fail to!
The fan in the cheap seats who paid five quid (or your currency of choice) for their ticket might have more riding on your performance than the executive in the corporate box who got in for free. Strangely, their criticism hits harder because it's unfiltered by politeness or positioning.
I remember one of my early businesses was a travel company. We'd organise group trips around the world. Tons of fun. But even before my first public trip (a trip to Japan I'd spent months arranging in partnership with Cathay Pacific) I got a scathing email.
It's funny, in retrospect, that I barely remember what it was about. Something trivial. But I remember exactly how it made me feel – incensed. Luckily, I spoke with a friend before responding and cooled my head.
We naturally want to dismiss feedback that makes us uncomfortable, especially when it comes from people we perceive as "beneath" our level. Or from people who don't have skin in the game.
They don't know how hard you work. How much you've spent. The sweat and blood you've poured to bring things bear.
But sometimes the people with the least to lose are the most willing to tell you what you need hear. They're not worried about protecting relationships or maintaining access. They're not invested in preserving your ego. They're just reacting honestly to what you've put in front of them.
The wealthy patron might politely applaud your mediocre performance to maintain social relations. The person in the cheap seats will boo because expected better and aren't afraid to say so.
This doesn't mean all criticism is valid or that volume equals accuracy. But it does mean that dismissing feedback based on its source rather than its substance is dangerous habit.
Always consider where you might be wrong. Evaluate feedback faithfully, regardless of who delivers it. Don't turn a blind eye to criticism simply because it comes from people you consider less successful or less invested than you.
