Having been to a theatre/performing school for a bit as a kid. They would tell like a 10 year old that they sucked and how they could improve. The kid starts breaking down with visible tears, it's then explained that it's professional criticism. You end up building that skin, and you continue to keep progressing.
That's a wonderful thing to teach. It's too bad we only allow it in competitive extracurriculars (I learned it in youth sports) and never in the classroom. It's being driven out of sports in some places -- my dad is a Little League buff and has observed that the Little League culture in the town where my parents spend their summers is completely "supportive," as opposed to the youth sports culture he and I grew up with, which was pretty friendly (there were some "screamer" coaches, but I never had one) but definitely critical and competitive.
So I grew up knowing how to take criticism, but I also learned that people do not give criticism in any context other than training competitors who had voluntarily signed up for a competitive activity. In any other context, criticism meant personal hostility or a drastic message that you didn't belong or did not have what it takes to succeed. I loved playing sports and happily took a lot of criticism (I wasn't that great at any sport I played) but I felt personally attacked and humiliated when I got any other kind of criticism, because that's what I was taught it meant.
That's a wonderful thing to teach. It's too bad we only allow it in competitive extracurriculars (I learned it in youth sports) and never in the classroom. It's being driven out of sports in some places -- my dad is a Little League buff and has observed that the Little League culture in the town where my parents spend their summers is completely "supportive," as opposed to the youth sports culture he and I grew up with, which was pretty friendly (there were some "screamer" coaches, but I never had one) but definitely critical and competitive.
So I grew up knowing how to take criticism, but I also learned that people do not give criticism in any context other than training competitors who had voluntarily signed up for a competitive activity. In any other context, criticism meant personal hostility or a drastic message that you didn't belong or did not have what it takes to succeed. I loved playing sports and happily took a lot of criticism (I wasn't that great at any sport I played) but I felt personally attacked and humiliated when I got any other kind of criticism, because that's what I was taught it meant.