Gabby Douglas' Critics Can Take a Flying Leap

Ruben Navarrett Jr. on Aug 17, 2016

Part of the reason could be that, according to her mother, Douglas is highly sensitive and internalizes everything.

"She's like a sponge," Hawkins told CNN. "Everything that you say to her, she just absorbs it."

See, that right there is the problem.

In recent days, fans have come to Douglas' defense and advised her to ignore the bullies and stay strong.

I'll second that. But I'll also add one more piece of advice that I've tried to apply in my own life: When Douglas has praise lavished upon her, she has to learn not to take that seriously either. Otherwise, she's setting herself up for a big fall when she goes -- as do many public figures -- from being the toast of town to just being toast.

As the old saying goes, there is a danger in believing your own press clippings. If your success goes to your head, you're going to be shocked one day when you realize not everyone adores you. You've got to keep a sense of perspective, in the good times as well as the bad.

This can be hard to do. We all like to be told we're great people who are doing great things.

In my case, I like to joke that this is not much of a problem because praise is such a foreign concept. In the life of a columnist, criticisms usually outnumber kudos 10-to-1. So much so that, when I'm being introduced for a speech, with overly generous remarks, I get uncomfortable. Im just not used to it.

Going forward, Douglas needs to just live her life, and focus on accomplishing her next set of goals. She'll be much happier if she stops soaking up what other people say about her, whether it's positive or negative.

She can take comfort in the support of her fans, friends and family. The naysayers -- in language Douglas will appreciate -- can take a flying leap.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com.