I have never been that great in taking a compliment. Although, I most definitely know how to toot my own horn and blow my own trumpet. I actually wish I had learned to play the trumpet in school. It is such a vibrant, energetic instrument. Instead I learned to play the clarinet. And, who didn’t? Were there ever any other instruments handed out to kids in school? Anyway, back to compliments. I never really received compliments for my clarinet playing but I did receive praise for my storytelling. And praise is good for the soul. It’s good for getting through a boring day. It’s good for motivating oneself upward. Now compliments are a slightly different thing than praise. Praise is earned. Or so it seems. You receive praise for a job well done. Compliments can be random and maybe even a bit manipulative. Ouch. That was a New York curmudgeon thing to say. Wasn’t it? Besides my sometimes skeptical take on compliments, I am saddened when I see others time and time again, walk away from a compliment. I often wonder what it is that is holding them back from accepting someone’s nice words. I do see that some women just blush and walk away. One woman did tell me a long time ago that she just didn’t see what others saw in regards to her being. Over time however she started to take compliments when I kept egging her on. We had turned it in a joke of sorts. However, such a tactic doesn’t work with everyone. And there are so many out there that just walk away from a compliment and cannot take it in. Nor process it in any way. Of course, some will note that younger generations now do not tend to walk away from a compliment but instead run head first into them. I know that I have seen my son eat them up. But as many urge women to lean into the leadership roles, we also have to encourage many to not walk away from a compliment. They need to lean into those as well and absorb them through every pore in their bodies.
Categories: Humor, identity, Leadership, mental health, Psychology, women
Affirmation
Is A Major Language
oF LoVE Perhaps
The Best
Praise and
Compliment
Is How
We inspire
Others in what
We Bring
To:
The Table oF
LiFE From: LoVinG
DarK to: Light in All We Do
My compliments may
Be a
‘Little’
Different
But never
The Less as
Real as i
Am
Will Be Now..:)
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You’re right, praise is good for the soul and motivation. You’re not alone in finding it hard to take a compliment. I tried harder last year to accept it and just say ‘thank you’, but there’s that part of me that always wants to challenge it because I don’t believe it. Strange how society sculpts many of this way, as though it’s selfish or egotistical to accept gracefully something nice someone has said about you, as though you’re not worthy of such compliments.
Caz xx
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It depends on the compliment. And the complimenter!
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Ha! This is also true!
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This reminds me so much of me lol
I can definitely toot my own horn but, when someone extends a compliment I immediately feel awkward.
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If only.
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The ONLY proper response to a compliment is, “Thank you!”
If someone backs away from a compliment, tell them the above, and the repeat the compliment… until response is acquired.
Training proper behavior in people, one at a time.
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Hehe. Yes, one at a time!
Hope all is going well
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We are moved to the final apartment here – this should be it for the next thirty years or so.
Several residents here have read Pride’s Children and made admiring comments.
Life is good.
Excuse me, I have to unpack.
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Yah. Happy to hear you are now moved into the final apartment and that you have a fan base there 🙂 Hope all is well.
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Agree
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Love this! I’m currently doing what I am calling #thecomplimentproject, so this is really pertinent!
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Oh wow. That’s cool. How are you going about doing it?
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I started three weeks ago and I am creating a meme a day celebrating a specific compliment with one of my own photos as background.
I’m sharing them daily on Instagram and Twitter and then doing a ‘weekly roundup’ on my blog.
My only stipulation is that the compliment cannot be about physical appearance or based in competition / comparison (I.e. you’re my best friend or similar).
My plan is to continue until my birthday on July 03rd – so that will be 99 memes!
I’m asking people to share compliments that have nourished their souls too.
It’s been three weeks, and it’s really shifting the way I frame my compliments to people and even my professional feedback.
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Wow, that is so awesome. Congrats on the project!
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