Why I Don't Comment

I admit it: I almost never comment on stuff on Mibba, outside of the occasional blog. Why? We all love feedback, right? I know I do.

But here's why: I want to give and receive honest feedback only. I mostly like to loiter around the Poems section, because that's where my passion is. And to be honest, I don't like a lot of the poems on here. I feel like I have to really dig to find ones that I enjoy through and through.

If I were to receive a comment on one of my poems along the lines of this:

"To be honest, I didn't really feel anything with this poem. It lacked good imagery, was overly sentimental, and felt kind of greeting card-esque. It lacked imagination, and felt more like a declaration of a thought than a poem. I as a reader felt like there was nothing there for me to latch onto.

Here are some examples of what I mean. In the following lines..."

I would be hurt, probably sulk and silently seethe, but ultimately benefit from it. Most of the time, when people don't comment on something, it seems to be because they didn't like it and didn't feel invested enough to comment, which is understandable. But as a writer, I know this. I know my poem often gets read and glossed over, and I want to know why.

When the only comments on a piece are filled with praise, it leaves the writer with the sense that their writing is good. Even when a positive comment is laced with mild criticism, this will still seem true. I think it's important for me as a writer to know when my work is bad or subpar.

Not everyone feels that way. If I comment on every piece I read, there will be a lot of comments like the one above, and I don't want people to feel like I'm stepping on their toes.

And that is why I almost never comment.