In most circumstances, knowing that someone has a generally favorable view of us is all we need to know. If not the whole story, it’s true enough, and it serves us well to feel that other people think well of us. It helps us feel comfortable, confident, and happy. That reasoning breaks down, though, when someone is trying to give us feedback. That’s when it’s important to work to learn more about how they see you on this front, either because it will help them or because it will help you.
