The issue I always take with people's first reaction to "criticism" is it somehow should only be negative. I see people who only provide negative feedback being

The issue I always take with people's first reaction to "criticism" is it somehow should only be negative. I see people who only provide negative feedback being, at best, lacking in their ability to truly analize something critically. Positive feedback isn't touchy-feely niceties to save someone's feelings. A lot of brilliance can be absent-mindely lost or discarded if the author isn't made aware that it's brilliant. If someone creates something and only gets feedback about what's wrong with it they could be lead to conclude the entire work is worthless and throw it out. However, if you say "this part right here, though, is great and for these reasons. Keep it and do more of that" you've actually helped someone's creative process a whole lot more than just "this sucks, get rid of it." If anything it takes more critical thinking and analysis to point out what's good about something than just ripping apart what doesn't work. 100% negative feedback is about as helpful as someone telling you "Yeah, I liked the story. It had some spelling and grammar errors but other than that it was good!" Great, you didn't tell me at all what you liked about it but then continued to tell me what spell and grammar check already did.