[msluyter]

Are you assuming that the intent behind feedback is always benign?

IMHO, in work settings it can represent a sort of a power play, esp. if done in public. I, wise, experienced, and objective, have the perspicacity to critique you, a humble, inexperienced, unskilled clod. See how awesome I am?

This likely to be quite a bit more subtle than I've framed it above, of course, but the dynamic remains. And, these dynamics aren't mutually exclusive -- one may have a genuine desire to help and get an ego/status boost from it, (which makes it sometimes tricky to handle gracefully if you're on the receiving end.)