A couple of weeks ago I did an article: How could this post be better? Here is the full quotation from Paul Arden’s book – Whatever you think, think the opposite.
Ask for a slap in the face.
If you show somebody a piece of your work and you ask them “what do you think?”, they will probably say it’s okay because they don’t want to offend you.
Next time, instead of asking if it’s right, ask them what’s wrong.
They may not say what you want to hear, but the chances are they will give you a truthful criticism.
Truth hurts, but in the long run it’s better than a pat on the back.