Is that a new shirt?

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How well do you take compliments? I'm an inordinately affectionate person, which sounds like a brag but it's actually a very bad thing cos I constantly get looked at funny and or screamed at for saying nice things about people. How do you react?

― Graham, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Of course I have nothing to say about this.

― Graham, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Compliments used to make me uncomfortable, mainly because I usually thought the compliment giver either wanted something from me or was trying to be funny. That was my problem (one I've gotten over, thankfully) and not due to the person giving me the compliment, so I wouldn't take any of the awkwardness too personally Graham.

― Nicole, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

i am rubbish at taking compliments. i get all embarrassed and think that people are taking the piss. however like nicole said this is MY problem. interestingly enough though (or not) my boyfwiend hardly EVER compliments me, which i always have a big go at him about. jeez i am such a hypocrite!

― katie, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Only way I ever react - "(sigh) OK what do YOU want?"

― dave q, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Er........oddly. If I suspect someone is complimenting me for some odd reason or doesn't genuinely think the thing or if I know it's not true I get quite irritable, perhaps not visibly. I suspect this is true of lots of people, compliments which are made for the sake of it or something are really annoying. I'm not talking about friends backing you up when you're feeling shit or something, I mean more someone who doesn't know you saying "I think you're a very ...... person".

I often feel awkward when complimented by someone, or like if someone says "oh tell X what happened you at the clown factory (random example of possible wacky story)" I go all shy and I hate it. Or like I remember when I used to do drama and stuff and my parents would go "so what are you like in the play, do a line" and I'd clam up totally. Same goes for someone looking at something I've written while I'm in the room. Excruciating.

I've gone a bit off on a tangent but what the hell you only live once. I don't think I compliment too often but only because I don't try and do it. I mean if I think someones hair looks nice I'll say it, but only if it's obvious there's some difference to me or something, I don't know. I don't think it's irrational to be irritated by throwaway compliments, as I've seen lots of people do it.

Actually when I compliment people, particularly girls, they think I'm actually mocking and being sarcy.

― Ronan, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Same goes for someone looking at something I've written while I'm in the room. Excruciating.

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes. Awful, horrible, painful.

Have got much better at taking compliaments, but I like third hand ones best "guess what so and so said about you to me? [insert nice thing here]"

― Anna, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I tried to buy a new shirt this lunch time. Well a new anything really, a slinky skirt a va-va-voom top, more killer heels. I am miserable and pissed off and hungover and suffering the effects of the weekend and I wanted something that would make me feel happy and sexy, but everything was so dull. Then I came back into work and there's a bloody model casting going on. Guarenteed to squash any glimmer of self-love hope.

― Anna, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I love compliments.

Yesterday the cashier at the deli (male, not gay-appearing) told me I looked nice, which was certainly unexpected.

― Sean, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

The Barman at Sola complimented me on my "washing tablet mesh bag" wallet which I am now rocking everyday for cards, and change. Im sure he was serious cause it is a very practical solution for a wallet. I suggest everyone uses them.

― Wildb, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Graham, you are deceived. You not "an inordinately affectionate person". You are living among The Dead. Move away from this miasma of unnatural emotional frigidity and shame and you will no longer be screamed at for indulging your proper sense of human connection. You knew this. Why do I have to remind you?

― Laureate Cibber, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

('ere Anna. My mate thinks you're gorge. Don't tell anyone I told you)

― Graham, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I dislike receiving compliments as it assumes someone is paying close attention to me. Enough to warrant a compliment anyway and I hate being the center of attention.

― lawrence kansas, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I haven't had so many that I've got good at accepting them. They please me a lot, but I am uneasy accepting them, I think.

― Martin Skidmore, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

"guess what so and so said about you to me? [insert nice thing here]"

There's an "Anna prefers random compliments during sex" joke in there but I can't articulate it correctly.

― Dan Perry, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

But you spotted it. That's why they call you Dang Perry.

― Graham, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Compliments are nice happy things, except when they're required (i.e. "What do you think of so-and-so?" in their presence, or "Do you think I'm [insert adjective here]?"). When they're honest they're wonderful though.

I HATE people looking at my writing while I'm in my room. I always squirm a lot and leave the room if possible. I blame this on my parents laughing at it when I was little. It wasn't MEANT to be funny.

― Maria, Tuesday, 2 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Compliments make me paranoid of suspecting people like me more than they actually do. I get "nice shirt" a lot......

― Honda, Wednesday, 3 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Compliments are nice. Any gratefully received. People however always think I am being sarcastic when I am giving them.

― Pete, Wednesday, 3 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Being complimented is groovy fun fab and all, but as I tend to keep all the bad qualities and their often awful end results in my brain for review, I am always pleasantly surprised by positive comments. Generally speaking I think I'm too awkward, too goofy, too egomaniacal, too arrogant, etc. I don't think anyone's trying to get anything out of me when I get a compliment (or being funny or whatever), I'm just bemused.

Perhaps the most recent surprise came from my parents reading some of my AMG reviews in the latest book and saying some very cool things about them. V. nice. :-)

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 3 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

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