Complements are Free

One small thing that you can do to make the world a little better is to give complements. Complements are free, easy to give and can really brighten someone’s day.

Everyone likes to hear a complement.

For a strange reason, we tend to act like complements are difficult or come at a high prices. We like to hedge and soften them. There’s absolutely no reason to do that.

If someone gets a new haircut that you like, you don’t need to say, “Hey, you finally got a decent haircut.” Just say, “I like your haircut.”

If someone does a good job you don’t have to say, “I was surprised, but you actually did a good job” just say, “You did a good job.”

If your roommate does the dishes after you’ve asked several time, you don’t have to say, “Well thanks for finally doing the dishes.” Just say, “Thanks for doing the dishes.”

There’s no need to qualify complements or be passive aggressive with them.

And if you need a selfish reason to give complements, consider that complementing behavior is the easiest way to get more of that behavior. Complement feels good and people like to do things that make them feel good.

So give compliments freely and frequently. You’ll get more of what you want and make the world a little better.