In Indian contexts, how you receive feedback reveals and demonstrates your character. The person who receives criticism gracefully—listening without defensiveness, acknowledging validity without excuses, committing to improvement while maintaining composure—demonstrates maturity, humility, and strength. The person who reacts defensively, argues against feedback, makes excuses, or shows visible upset demonstrates immaturity regardless of whether the criticism is fair.
This places significant expectation on feedback recipients: you should receive feedback well even when it’s harsh, even when it seems unfair, even when poorly delivered. Receiving feedback well doesn’t necessarily mean agreeing with it, but it means responding in ways that honor the feedback relationship. The capacity to be criticized without defensive reaction represents achieved maturity that Indian culture values and expects.
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