Honest feedback stings for an afternoon and pays for a year.

Honest feedback arrives with a sting attached, and the sting is short while the information keeps working. The discomfort is mostly about being seen, which is separate from whether the observation is useful. Since it is unpleasant to give as well as receive, most people around you have quietly decided not to bother, which makes the ones who do rare.

When it lands, say thank you and nothing else for a day. Then look at it once the flinch has faded and decide what is true. Whatever survives that pass is worth acting on.