In recent months an advertisement was posted on social media for a car company which included in its headline the word “Costumers” when in truth it must have been intending to say “Customers” – though perhaps it was clever advertising, deliberately confusing the two words thus in the process making it memorable for people like this writer. And even though this writer cannot recall what company it was, readers of this article may be tempted to search for it, to see if it was true – so the company’s name goes further afield. A slight shift of letters in a word can mean the world of difference though. In the above example, two letters swapped around make a big difference. We need therefore to be very careful how we spell words and how we use words.

Consider therefore the word “consumer” which is not dissimilar in some ways to “customer” (yes, “customer” not “costumer”). In simple terms the difference lies in the fact that a customer is the person or business that buys the goods or services, while a consumer is the end-user who actually uses or experiences them. We might wonder in passing, therefore, if the children in our schools are consumers or customers – and would we treat them differently depending on which one we decide?

Then let us reflect on another two similar words. Firstly, the word “critic”. Critics generally receive bad press – though it might take one to know one, perhaps! We tend to think of a critic as someone who expresses disapproval or finds fault with a person, policy, or action – a negative person, stating what is wrong without ever acknowledging the thought, effort put into it and often with little or no experience (like those sports critics, otherwise known as parents, at the side of a school sport pitch).

Theodore Roosevelt made the famous comment that “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actuallyin the arena,” going on to illustrate and describe what it is really like to be the one doing things rather than the one sitting on the sideline making judgment. The credit belongs to the creator on the field, doing their very best in difficult circumstances.

More positively, though, the word “critic” can mean a person who judges, evaluates, or analyses the value and quality of something; that can be positive, not negative. It simply means it is someone who is able and willing to think for himself, objectively, reasonably, personally. We should give such folk credit. We need young people to be raised up and trained to be critics; indeed, critical thinking is seen by educators all around the world, including our own Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, to be a crucial, integral part of learning, whether it is in viewing how our school or our soccer team or our company, is doing.

But secondly, we need to reflect on being a “creator”. It is tough to be a creator to actively build, make, or risk putting something new into the world, introducing something new, original, different with the aim perhaps of getting people thinking, imagining, trying. Creating requires thinking and then doing something with those creative thoughts. Steve Napolitan on LinkedIn wrote that “Creators make things. They try, they miss, they adjust, they go again.” We are created to be creators.

Many might say that “I’d rather be a creator than a critic”. Most say it is easier to be a critic. However, Len Wilson has pointed out in an article in ‘Ministry Matters’ that both are essential but different. “Critics say no. Creators say yes. Good educators don’t just correct, they share wisdom. Good consultants don’t just point out problems, they offer solutions. Good leaders don’t just demand excellence, they grow great cultures.” What we have to ensure though is that just as anybody can be a critic, so too anybody can be a creator. And everybody should learn to be both.

Being a critic and creator is crucial especially in this age of AI. Someone has said that “we must teach children not to be consumers but creators and critics” so we must look at AI critically, not simply accepting what is written as fact or truth and we must use AI creatively, with much thought and creative, careful consideration. Children are not simply consumers of knowledge; they must be critics and creators and in doing so will become contributors. No costumes are needed; not even customs.