I would recommend reading the blog post; I think there is context you have missed. I'm describing interactions here I am having with my peers, not people I'm i

I would recommend reading the blog post; I think there is context you have missed. I'm describing interactions here I am having with my peers, not people I'm in a service relationships with. We are practicing a highly-skilled trade, and acknowledging the times our skill pays off isn't a "continuous din", or even "positive reinforcement". It is just refusing to be dour sourpusses who have to pretend our work isn't super cool. Code reviews are most closely akin to a Writing Workshop. When someone in a writing workshop says, "that description evoked Oregon in spring" or whatever, it isn't banal positivity: it is specific feedback on how the craft is functioning.