In any job, you can come under attack or have a door slammed in your face. You do want to listen to critics, you don't want to be in a cocoon and never change. Get a second opinion from coworkers and friends. Know the criticism can be valid, but don't take it personally.
The author points out in this quote that there is a difference between having your performance criticized and having someone criticize you personally. A criticism, if constructive, is not an unkind thing; in fact, it can be the reverse and a sign that someone else is sufficiently invested in you and your career that they take the time to tell you where there is room for improvement. Life, for the most part, is a team sport and so taking as many opinions as possible on board means that one is able to improve whilst still staying true to the original goal.
I have a dream that one day maybe we'll have more women in the Senate than there are victims of Harvey Weinstein's harassment.
This biting observation actually points out how far we still have to come in terms of equal opportunities for women. The Senate is a male-driven workplace. Not only does this not seem to change very much, it also seems to be something that does not change even when the ethnic and age composition of the Senate is actually changing and becoming more inclusive. The author points out that there are still more women who are sexually harassed in the workplace than there are given the opportunity to go to work in a particular workplace. This cannot be considered progress.
