Can friends really help you overcome setbacks?

Among the recommendations Alexandra Levit offers in her recent Wall Street Journal column on overcoming career setbacks is to rely upon friends to help deal with negativity and rejection. As suggested in the article by author Tim Ferriss, "I recommend long dinners with at least two friends... (and) Ignore naysayers unless they've specifically done what you're trying to do."

This may sound like an effective response to many. However, as much as we enjoy the positive support of those we know, we have to be careful not to let too much positive reinforcement enable or increase personal ego to an unacceptable level. Friends and family who chose to simply offer positive feedback without any critical analysis are not much better than a empty-headed "yes man" if their advice hinders your recognition of potential personal deficiencies.

Isolation is a tough environment, but it is often critical to understanding your strengths, abilities, and passions. Achievement does not stop with setbacks. In fact, it is often driven and enhanced from the lessons we learn from times of difficulty, as the Levit article also suggests. If the cloud of empty praise clouds your ability to honestly evaluate yourself, future success depends on independent self-reflection.