technically yes, but I find that more often than not, people think it is the critic who is wrong. Should the critic really continue to fight the society he is part of? it only serves to hurt him/her in the long run.

Criticism is great, but it should be done appropriately. Instead of telling someone how much X sucks, tell them that, in your opinion, X they might be able to make X much better by doing A, B, and C. This is difficult to do appropriately, but very helpful to everyone.

It is also difficult and important to learn to listen to criticism. However, you can probably screw up your life much quicker by giving criticism in an undiplomatic way than by failing to take criticism.

unfortunately it's not as easy as saying it might be able to be done by by doing it way X. my sister was constantly offended by my intended to be constructive criticism of her cooking, and usually it was a simple as this would be better if you used more salt. I never said it was bad, I merely suggested how things could be improved, and she took this as an insult, and a complaint.

I find that people don't like criticism period, doesn't matter what, you are criticizing or why. They see it as A, complaining, B insulting, C plain negativity.

It depends on the person. I'd much rather people were straight and honest with me, rather than wooly and said the dreaded "That's nice".

Also it depends on experience I guess, if you're just starting to learn something out of your comfort zone, you don't really want harshly honest critique of your (probably lame) efforts. You want mainly encouragement. Once you become more confident though, and believe in your own abilities, you just want the truth.

in my experience people don't want the truth, most people aren't like hackers. Hackers love honesty, no matter how brutal, most people simply aren't like that. I don't mind a brutal critique so long as it includes advice on how to be better if I'm just starting something. But don't tell me I did it wrong and leave it at that, I have to know why.