There is probably no other moment in your life, whether as a photographer or just as a person, when you suddenly become aware that you have matured, in a good way, than when you receive criticism — and welcome it. You realize that it is human to err, and therefore no shame in being wrong from time to time. In fact, you know you will be wrong many times and hope someone cares enough to point it out — in a constructive, hopefully gentle, way — and help you get back on track.
Melinda Hurst Frye addresses this subject of constructive criticism, but from a different angle: critiquing your own work — self-critiquing — which is not easy to do at all, for it requires you to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses and to honestly admit to both. I especially like the part about “Say it visually, not verbally.”