<human>: Give me the gist of the text in a nutshell

My boyfriend and I have a great relationship, pretty much only tarnished by this one issue. Very loving, and in general, he's very supportive. 

Any time we get into an argument, it pretty much stems from the same thing: him being overly critical of SOMETHING, whether it's something I've done or said, or something that I like or am passionate about. Then I get my panties in a bunch, and it escalates. He is a perfectionist, and he is also obsessed with improving things, so he generally thinks he's being helpful when he criticizes, but he usually just comes off like an asshole. (Note: other people in his life have told him he is too critical and "nothing is ever good enough," so my sensitivity is not the only reason I see him as an overly critical human.)

Now, I may be able to handle the criticism better IF I was not such a sensitive person. I am truly a highly sensitive person, deeply emotional and I experience my emotions on a much deeper level than most humans. My feelings are easily hurt and I do not accept criticism very well. I have tried to change this but it is really just how I am hard-wired, so all I can do is adapt my behavior to this natural inclination.

So my question is: can a sensitive person and a critical person really be compatible in the long run? What communication strategies can we adopt to help work through these issues? How can I develop a thicker skin in regards to his remarks, and how can he learn to think harder about the way he phrases things when speaking to me?
Does anyone else have experience with a successful relationship in this kind of situation?
<bot>: I'm a highly sensitive person and my boyfriend is a very critical person. Please suggest communication strategies to keep us both from losing our minds.