Notice what you flinch at.
Some feedback lands soft.
You nod, you agree,
it confirms what you already thought.
That kind is pleasant.
It rarely changes much.
The feedback that stings —
the one you immediately want to argue with,
explain away, dismiss —
pay attention to that one.
The flinch is a signal.
It usually means the comment
touched something true
that you weren't ready to look at.
I'm not saying all hard feedback is right.
Some of it is just wrong,
and you're allowed to let it go.
But before you dismiss it,
sit with it a day.
Ask: what if there's something here?
What would I do differently
if this were true?
Your instinct is to defend.
Growth is on the other side
of that instinct.
The comfortable feedback
tells you who you already are.
The uncomfortable one
tells you who you could become.
Don't waste the flinch.
It's pointing at something.
– Asael Shinder
