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Don’t Be Offended by a Genuine Compliment, Even if it’s Clumsy
And say pleasant things as often as you can
A while back, a friend of mine complained because she was in a public place and an elderly man told her she was pretty.
Seriously?
Someone takes the time to say something nice and you get ticked off because the comment was from a stranger or it was phrased awkwardly?
People often make comments about my hair, which started turning white when I was in my early 30s. Just the other day, I was walking into a store and a woman coming out made eye contact with me, smiled broadly, and said something in Spanish. When I obviously didn’t understand, she said, “Your hair!” and touched her lips with her fingers, adding, “Beautiful!”
It made my day.
I’ve even had total strangers ask if they can touch it to see if it’s as soft as it looks. Okay, that’s a little creepy, but I let them.
At least half of the people who comment ask if the color is natural (it is). I know a lot of people who would be offended by that. I’m not.
My point is: When someone pays you a compliment, even if they’re a little clumsy in how they phrase it, don’t get offended. Smile, thank them, and move on.
