How To Respond To The Compliments Received?

Many people wonder how to respond to compliments, as doing it elegantly is not an easy art to master. Often the fear of appearing an arrogant person paralyzes us, at other times the idea of ​​not exaggerating so as not to appear ungrateful or too modest… It is not as simple as it seems to find this exact point.

Many people don’t know how to respond to compliments. Praising a compliment is another art dominated by few, which is not to say that the one being praised shouldn’t be grateful. We are often uncomfortable with the compliments received and feel so embarrassed that, not knowing how to act and respond, we run the risk of looking ridiculous.

If you think carefully, on many occasions so that we don’t appear arrogant or overdone, we end up belittling, rejecting, or belittling the compliment or gift received. We forget that the other expects us to simply be grateful rather than modest. At the opposite extreme are those situations in which, to show our great gratitude, we are modest, amusing, or overdone.

Why do some people ignore or distract from the praise received?

We can accept, ignore, divert attention and even deny a compliment. You can also react with self-criticism, you can argue and negotiate. But why is it so difficult to opt for acceptance? How is it possible to put into action a thousand and one strategies to reject it, ignore it and devalue it? After all, we all like to be valued for what we do or who we are.

Here are some of the reasons why we find it difficult to accept a compliment naturally:

• Afraid of looking vain. This is the most common reason people deflect or ignore a compliment. The problem is that we believe that by agreeing to someone’s praise we are praising ourselves, we are being presumptuous.

• Need to restore balance. Since a compliment is a positive action, the individual may feel a psychological need to balance how they feel by denying or quickly returning the compliment.
• Desire to avoid debt. If someone does or says something positive as a compliment, you believe that you should do something similar for the person and therefore you are indebted to them in some way. Therefore, by denying the praise, the feeling of debt disappears.
• Low self esteem. If someone says something positive about us we will show disbelief and often deny it. Since we do not agree with this view of ourselves, we will look for a way to confirm that this assessment is not correct and that the praise is not deserved.
• Inability to be assertive. Lack of assertiveness often prevents us from accepting and responding to compliments. Therefore, it is advisable to practice this social skill to improve our relationships.

• Suspect the motives. If we believe that behind a compliment there is some interest or something else, our first reaction will be to reject it. But, this suspicion can be an impartial view of the circumstances.
• Improve the image. Many people use false modesty as a way of trying to show a better image. That’s why we often don’t pay attention to the compliments they give us to show a good image.

Learn to accept compliments

Before you can learn to acknowledge compliments with grace and elegance, you must learn to accept them heartily. There may be a lot of bad intentions behind a compliment, it may not be sincerity, but in most cases it’s done with good intentions.

Whatever the intention, the fact is, people expect acceptance of a compliment. And this answer must be done modestly, without feigning false modesty and showing gratitude. The problem is that, as we’ve said, most of the time people dodge or ignore compliments, and believe that’s the right thing to do.

However, the fact that it is a common reaction does not mean that it is adequate. Not saying thank you for a compliment usually demonstrates bad manners, and it’s not a very smart attitude. In fact, most of the time, denying or deflecting a compliment involves a contradiction and can even offend the other person.

How to respond to compliments with elegance and without false modesty

The art of knowing how to respond to compliments is to give  thanks sincerely and authentically. It’s very simple. You don’t need to justify anything, you don’t need to add anything. A person who gives a compliment just expects you to accept it and say thank you. Most of the time, you don’t have to say anything more than say thanks.

We must also not forget the importance of non-verbal language, especially the look. Looking at the person while giving thanks, while shaking their hand, depending on the occasion, is critical. Sometimes a hug might be appropriate. These gestures are often far more meaningful than anything you can say.

If the praise is the result of a collaborative effort, be sure to acknowledge the contributions of the team or those close to you who normally remain in the shadows. Mentioning those who helped, inspired, and even supported you is a great way to recognize their value to you.

In any case, avoid comments that deny the compliment. Phrases like “it was nothing”, or “don’t worry about it”, or “it wasn’t a big problem” show false modesty and can be taken as a personal rejection. If you need to say something more than thank you, look for something positive to say.

Also avoid giving thanks by returning the compliment to the other person. Many people believe that responding to one compliment with another demonstrates gratitude, but in reality it feels forced and lacking in authenticity.

If you work hard to get where you are, strive to look good every day, why reject the excellent feedback you get from others? You deserve to hear him out, and now that you know how to respond to compliments, it will be much easier to deal with them.