Feedback stings because it’s specific. Vague praise feels better and teaches you nothing.

Specific comments hurt precisely because they land on something real. Vague praise slides off, which is why it is comfortable and why you can hear it all day without getting any better. The sting is a rough signal that the person actually looked at what you did.

This week, ask someone whose opinion you trust for one specific criticism, and do not argue with the answer in the moment. Write it down exactly as they said it. Then work on that one thing instead of collecting more comments.