The best critiques are the ones we don't want to hear. Sure, praise for our work is nice and makes us feel like rock stars, but it doesn't do much to help us grow.
How do we grow? By learning from our mistakes, and there is no way to know what our mistakes are if no one tells us. Problem is, we usually don't want to hear it. Ten different people can tell us that our main character is flat, but if one person comes along and says they loved him or her, then automatically that is the voice we believe. Truth: that last person is probably wrong.
Take your reviews and critiques to heart--all of them. Look for patterns, see if changes really do need to be made, or if the majority of your readers are on board with you. Accepting that you are usually the last person to see problems in your own story is one of the biggest steps you can take towards becoming a stronger writer.
Don't let the voice saying what you want to hear be the only one you hear.
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