John in NM
"My knee-jerk reaction is that when tools/fixtures are criticised, and this is done with such conviction, everyone - regardless of the reason they are used - experiences this as a personal criticism on some level. I know that I do (and, yes, I know I must get over it)."

No one likes their fixturing preferences to be referred to as training wheels, but I've found it useful to get past the irritation of the delivery and evaluate the content.

I get to do a lot of this at the day job and I usually find that the irritating statement makes a good point. I also usually find that my irritation with it is a red flag - I'm irritated not by the choice of words so much as having my attention directed to a weak point I had preferred to overlook indefinitely.

You are right that taking such criticism personally is the most common immediate reaction, but I rarely find that the criticism was intended to be so personal.