Feedback as an insult

The word "feedback" can itself be perceived as an insult.

Imagine that someone cleaning your office took your important paperwork and dumped it in a bin. You complain— "Hey we need that stuff to be accessible!" and they retort "Thank you for your feedback. We'll consider it during our future cleaning plans".

We're not just providing feedback here. We're collectively making a decision as we've always done, thank you very much.

Whether it is interpreted as an insult or not, and how strong the reaction is, depends on the language skills and culture of the listener (or reader). To a native English speaker in the United Kingdom the use of the word feedback in the context of the example given above will nearly always be seen at best as sarcastic. At worst it will be treated as arrogantly dismissive, indicating you see no value in the other party's opinion, therefore being an insult.

In contrast, a non-native speaker with weaker language skills may not infer an insult, treating the response in a more literal sense.

See also edit