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Yeah, but... This is a bit of pretzel logic, if you will. Pleasantries aside, lemme play Devil's Advocate here and say: This is why we bleeding-heart liberals get called snowflakes. It's why we lost the American Presidency to a troll doll. Sometimes your writing stinks and there's no easy way for me to say it. Saying nothing at all might be "nicer" but...

Criticism doesn't always need to be constructive. And arrogance can be a virtue. Long as it's honest and not steeped in jealousy or whatever the fuck. Honesty TRUMPS all. As long as we bear in mind that the honesty is particular. To a particular audience member. Instead of sifting thru polite reviews, looking for patterns of equivocating criticism, wouldn't it serve us all better to be TOLD how bad we are? To ask a reviewer to be specific and magnanimous about our shittiness is probably asking too much.  I know damn well, when I'm reviewing, that I resort to sarcasm and derision and thinly-veiled contempt at times. I think there's a series of televised commercials out there right now, espousing the same thing. That thing being: What people are REALLY thinking when they look at you and your work/situation.

Therefore, I take umbrage when someone complains about harsh criticism.  It all comes down to writing for yourself. Writing to satisfy yourself. First and foremost. If the consensus returns a damning verdict? Well, then you know that being yourself ain't good enough to satisfy. So become someone else then. That's the beauty of fiction. You can be whoever you think they want you to be. And if that fails, you can always be a bartender. Everyone loves a bartender. Especially frustrated writers.
John