Tough one.

One of my biggest weaknesses is that I'm having trouble with positive feedback.

It's kinda self defense because positive feedback usually means that a negative thing will happen.

One of the moments where I feel like a dev hero is when I can just accept the positive feedback.

I totally understand.

I assume everyone is lying (as they usually are) and they have something else unpleasant planned, or because they want something more from me — and they always do. They usually don’t have anything planned because they don’t plan ahead, but I’m always wary of compliments, and especially of gifts. It makes me wonder what awful things are coming.

I also fear that they will realize I’ve caught on and they will turn angry and aggressive.

This really makes me sound paranoid, what the crap. Justified reactions from my experiences, though. Boyfriends, parents, “friends,” bosses, backstabbing coworkers, con artist neighbors, generic scammers, …

I work with a VERY smart dev. He seems to me to have a sort of confidence problem. I try to point out when I see him doing well. I also pull him aside and try to show him issues with parts of the code privately. I think it is shitty to bring up issues in a group. Especially misconceptions about how a language works. It seems when I try and compliment him he doesn't take it seriously. Or he is feigning humility. Not sure which. Reading this thread I wonder what other machinations are going on in his head.

@Demolishun self confidence might be an issue, but for me what @Root said is more true.

I expect humans to be shit. Cause that's what they are. Exploiting, narcisstic arseholes who'd happily throw you under the bus if it gives them any kind of personal gain.

It's what I've seen my whole life and what I'm used to. The number of exceptions is low.

Yeah... I think so

My concern about positive feedback is I think I have nothing to do more with them. Tell me I'm a great coder, so what can I do next?

Just thank you 😊

But, it's so different when we get a negative (but good) feedback like 'Actuallly, I think this is so difficult for new users, can you solve it like.....'

It time for improvement 😅