The Art Of Compliments: How To Give and Accept Them

“The art of receiving compliments

Complimenting people is an excellent way to strengthen relationships, but sometimes we don’t know how to receive compliments.

People usually react one of two ways when they’re given a compliment, whether in person or online:

• they either downplay the compliment;

• they are too proud to accept it.

Receiving a compliment can be as simple as saying thank you. If you don’t want to do that, you could always use the tried and true method of responding with a joke.

Don’t dismiss compliments.

You might feel you don’t deserve the compliment or uncomfortable accepting it. If you think this way, you may be dismissing it. If someone offers you a compliment, try not to ignore it automatically.

Think about it, and then decide how to respond.

• If you feel the compliment is genuine and unsolicited, think about feeling comfortable accepting it.

• If you are uncomfortable accepting a compliment, you can always thank the person for their kind words.

How to give a compliment

To compliment someone, try to think of something specific about them.

• “You are beautiful” may be a nice sentiment, but it is also very general.

• “I love your hair. It’s so shiny!” is more specific and shows that you’ve actually taken the time to notice something about that person.

If you’re complimenting their appearance, avoid terms such as “cute” or “hot”. These subjective terms may offend people or steer too close to flirting. You can also switch up your compliments to stay away from a pattern. If you compliment someone every week on their shirt, they’ll likely catch on, and it’ll lose its effect.

Be specific in your compliments

Be specific when complimenting someone, and try to tie it into something they’ve done or achieved.

• A good example would be, “You’ve really come a long way since we first met. I’m proud that you’ve been able to come out of your shell and be such a confident person.”

If you’re complimenting a friend on their look, try incorporating their feelings into the compliment.

• For example, “You look amazing tonight! You seem really happy to be here.”

This shows them that you’ve been paying attention to them.

Make it about the other person

When complimenting someone, try to make it about them, not you. This is the difference between flattery and sincerity.

• For example, if your best friend is going through a breakup, a sincere compliment is like, “I’m glad you’ve been able to move past that relationship. It shows how strong you are as a person!” A flattery compliment would be like, “You’ll find someone better. Just wait and see!”

Read the full article on Medium

✨Takeaway: Compliments can make someone’s day. Always keep in mind that complementing someone isn't about you. It is what you appreciate about them. Be prepared to receive compliments in return!

✨Reflection: Have you ever struggled with accepting compliments?

#Compliments #Friends #Relationships #Kindness #Sincerity