The Two-Step Process to Giving Good Compliments
Hint: “Nice shirt” does not cut it.
So someone you know, or know of, has just done something amazing. You want to tell them! You want to let them know that you like what they did. Not for any personal gain, but just to share your appreciation.
That is a pure, wonderful compliment.
What is a compliment? You might think it’s just a nice thing to say to someone. That’s true, but in my opinion, it goes a lot deeper than that.
A compliment is unsolicited, positive feedback. Nobody asked you for a compliment, but you’ve gone right on out there anyway, and told them that they’re doing something — be it dressing, writing, or just living — really well.
But what you shouldn’t forget is that you’re commenting on an aspect of someone’s life. You’re giving them your approval of something, whether they want it or not. So it’s worth making sure that you set it up correctly, so you don’t come off as insincere or even insulting.
I’ve been paid some wonderful compliments, some of which I still think about to this day. And I’ve been given some well-intentioned compliments which have really upset me, insulted me, or made me laugh because they were so ludicrous.
