Lifting people up is the noblest thing you can do.
I am talking about helping someone believe they are more than they currently think of themselves. Let me give you two examples.
Friend 1 – Works hard in a job where they don’t get any thanks. Feels that he is a 7/10 even though there is widespread turnover and he has been loyal. Does the work of two people or more and feels “average”. How many times have we worked in a job where we did multiple people’s jobs and felt “average” even though we were working harder than anyone above us? There is nothing average in holding down multiple people’s jobs simultaneously. That is extraordinary. Low pay and little room for advancement even though he has a college degree and is highly educated.
Friend 2 – Works hard in a job where he doesn’t get any thanks. Helps other coworkers with their job and prevents issues in other departments even though that isn’t his job. People are fired from the company for not being able to handle their job, even though they are doing the work of multiple people. He works late, works on weekends, and does everything he can to make the company successful. Always says yes to the boss no matter the personal cost. Underpaid in their job, and highly educated.
Both of these people are doing the best they can in a difficult situation, like millions of other hard-working people. You are probably doing the best you can in an impossible situation. So when someone says to you that they aren’t doing a very good job, disagree with them and point out all the positive things they are doing and that they are doing what other people aren’t doing. Be proud to know them, and tell them that you are proud of them and their good attitude. Encourage them so that they don’t have a distorted picture of themselves because of the abuse of other people.
Lift people up with compliments and cancel other people’s negative feedback.