At last. The false assumption that someone can be self-critical is over. You might beleive you can be self-critical, but how can you actually be self-critical if you are never fully self-aware.
Just by explaining something to someone you become aware of problems in your code. The same is true of personal skills, interpersonal skills and management skills. People don’t have a great gague on what they know if they don’t know what they know. People don’t know they are treating others badly if they don’t realise they are doing it!
People don’t know how bad their management skills are because they simply aren’t aware. If they had to stop and explain why they mange people and things the way they do - they would have the same reaction as you have explained above.
Now if you can just extend your idea out a little and accept peer driven critical (positive and negative) feedback (or better still - 360 degree feedback), THEN you can truely be self-critical in all areas. Your code and company will benefit.