Working, for two decades, at one of the largest Industrial cooperations in the globe gave me a priceless  opportunity to visualize, manifestly, the extent of disparity between many cultures (including the western’s) and our culture from the “tolerance to criticism” stand- point. During the second half of that period and being on the top executive management level made me adopt a deeply rooted belief that “criticism” is the substantial mean of thinking which developed the western societies and that “criticism” is to be directed to the higher layers of the societal pyramid as well as it would be addressed to the other layers of this pyramid .

This twenty – year experience picturized before my eyes the magnitude of the gap between our culture and some other cultures in this respect. Criticizing phenomena, concepts, and axioms is a milestone of culture that set up the most advanced societies.

Criticism is a tool that every human being in the advanced societies acquires since the dawn of his conciseness. The atmosphere, Man, in these cultures, is embowered with, enables him to air views and outspoken criticism from the very start. The little child is taught how everything around him is subject to criticism. At the same time individuals practice criticism under the umbrella of general acceptance, forbearance remote from wrath and stress caused by criticism in other culture milieus (such as many middle Eastern Cultures).

Educational curricula consolidate this interest in criticism. The general atmosphere (politically, Socially and culturally) strengthens this same interest in criticism as an extremely constructive device and most probably a stupendous means of promoting all systems, establishments, concepts and practices!  Nonetheless, our culture proceeded on the emotional track laden with vexation at criticism especially criticism to axioms! We, in many respects, regard criticism as sabotage and destructive act to treason (and in many cases this reaction looks adequate because we seldom critics with a calm, objective and polite attitudes) . 

Intolerance to criticism, deeply – entrenched in the mental buildup of our society, consolidated as a milestone of our culture. Other negative aspects disseminate in our contemporary through and make the issue extremely acrid : when intolerance to criticism is annexed to shrinkage of leniency and augmenting subjectivity , narrow-mindedness (reading others as either “with” or “against” us), fanaticism (or may be “phobia”) about our past and overweening inclination to self – praise. Then the intensity of intolerance to criticism escalates and reaches its zenith .

Criticism is synonymous with wrath, anxiety and sneaking suspicion of intentions in addition to the existence of perils, lying in ambush to complete the conspiracy (plot) against us .

Our general atmosphere suffers a great deal from intolerance to criticism. I think I do not need to give examples. During the last few decades, many stereotyped cases were repeated, symbolizing this phenomenon, asserting that it is a characteristic of myriad intellectuals and cultural figures. So the debate on intellectual issues is a novel emblem of the high intensity of our intolerance to criticism and vexation at being criticized !

Let me give only two examples:

- Those who call for celebrating the two- century- relationship between Egypt and France exchange accusations and slanders with the polemists who disapprove of this celebration !

- Those who believe that holding a parley/ dialogue  with our “ Historic Enemies”  is the only way – out to escape from  wounds- laden reality face a strident campaign of vituperation depriving them of any honorable attribute even patriotism.

Our mass media, throughout the last thirty years, have been void of an article or an interview including constructive criticism to any of our governments major choices (except to former governments !! ). This’ s adequate evidence that we do not recognize criticism except when drawling slogans (or launching into a harangue). If we really believe that “no problem, we agree to differ” so there should be an article or an interview in any of our mass media, including criticism of one or more of our main policies. If there is no piece of evidence, then this will be an adequate proof of intolerance to criticism to an extent that make us worried and keen to treat and remedy this cultural disease with all means that help the growth of our acceptance of criticism without which we can not set up the future we had for long sought for and longed to.

In addition to all what was stated earlier in this article, “Total Quality Management” is undeniably the “Driver” of the vehicle called “Modern Management Systems” Total Quality Management (TQM) is the main reason that makes any economic activity succeeds. In a few words and without getting into technical details, “Total Quality Management” is based on three corner stones : Quality Planing, Quality Control and Quality audit. The third corner stone means that every economic unit should critically audit its performance, the goods it produces or the service it renders to discover through this critical process what is needed to achieve further progress before the competition. Here we are before an extremely clear situation where the economic success is directly related to the benefits of criticism that aims at a continuos process of improvement to ensure the sought competitiveness before a market that will have no place “or marcy” to those who continue to have short falls.

In short, there is no more eloquent saying that of the great philosopher Emmanuel Kant which I had mentioned in the preface my book “Critique of the Arab Mind”: ( Criticism is the most constructive  tool ever produced by human mind).