When Feedback Becomes a Story About You

Feedback can begin with one specific observation and quickly turn into a much larger story: “I missed that detail” becomes “I’m bad at this.” But the observation and the conclusion aren’t the same thing—and neither tells us, by itself, what to try next.

If you receive feedback that stings, what helps you separate what was actually noticed from the meaning you’re adding about yourself? And what kind of next step would help you test that meaning without treating one comment as a final verdict?