Hard feedback stings the most when it hits something true. That sting is the useful part.

Criticism that glances off does not hurt. The comment that stays with you usually found something you already suspected, which is exactly why it landed. The sting is a locator rather than a verdict, and it points at the part worth working on. Wanting it to be untrue is normal, and it does not change the reading.

Sit with a hard note for a day before answering it, then separate the tone from the content. Keep the one sentence you think is accurate and let the rest go. Acting on that single thing is more than most people ever do with feedback.