From a layman's perspective, critical spirits are all over on Steemit - unfortunate but true, and it will get better as the platform matures, hopefully. 

Critical thinkers are to be found in the smaller sub-communities on Steemit which are fast becoming a lifeline for the better content creators. 

>How do you deal with people who seem to have a critical spirit?

I try and stay away from them, as their negativity is ingrained in their DNA. Their influence will always be negative. 

I used to do so offline, and continue the same practice online. 

>Are you able to look at a situation strictly based on facts or do emotions play a role in your decision-making process?

Emotions do always play a role but a concentrated focus towards an unfair evaluation results in a better judgement, which in turn brings greater rewards in the long term. So it is a trade off between short term gains and long term rewards.

>Do you find that it is easier to build relationships online or offline?

Both are different types of relationships but over the last few years I have made more relationships online than offline - mainly because the nature of my work makes me more online than in the offline world.