There are “only two choices” in life: being criticized or “being ignored”. - Seth Godin

If you’re remarkable, it’s likely that some people won’t
like you. That’s part of the definition of remarkable.
Nobody gets unanimous praise–ever. The best the timid
can hope for is to be unnoticed. Criticism comes to those
who stand out.

Group projects are the exception in school, but they should be the norm.

The same is true for learning. True learning (as opposed to education) is a voluntary experience that requires tension and discomfort (the persistent feeling of incompetence as we get better at a skill).