What is the best compliment you've ever gotten?

[Anonymous]

As a divorcee in my 40s I was mountain biking on a narrow trail with my BF when I suggested he go first because he usually rode faster than me. He said, "No, I'd rather you go first so I can look at your cute butt."

Nobody before or since ever referred to my butt as cute, it's pretty minor but it sure stuck with me even long after that relationship was over.

[Anonymous]

I was a plain kid with a very cruel mom and grew into a plain/homely adult. I had a much more attractive brother who received a lot attention for his looks. Photos from my childhood accurately capture me as always looking on the verge of tears because of how I was treated in my family. Anyway, I don’t think I’ve ever been complimented on any aspect of my appearance except once.

I have blue eyes, but average ones, nothing special. I was at a restaurant when I was 10 or 11. From a few tables away I overheard an old woman say loudly to her friend towards me (I was the only other person in the room because my mom was paying the check) “look at those eyes!” in a complimentary voice.

In the moment I knew it was a stage whisper and I knew that she wasn’t really complimenting my appearance so much as trying to make me feel seen. I’ve carried that women’s voice with me for a long time- knowing that other people saw my existence kept me going until I could leave home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a plain kid with a very cruel mom and grew into a plain/homely adult. I had a much more attractive brother who received a lot attention for his looks. Photos from my childhood accurately capture me as always looking on the verge of tears because of how I was treated in my family. Anyway, I don’t think I’ve ever been complimented on any aspect of my appearance except once.

I have blue eyes, but average ones, nothing special. I was at a restaurant when I was 10 or 11. From a few tables away I overheard an old woman say loudly to her friend towards me (I was the only other person in the room because my mom was paying the check) “look at those eyes!” in a complimentary voice.

In the moment I knew it was a stage whisper and I knew that she wasn’t really complimenting my appearance so much as trying to make me feel seen. I’ve carried that women’s voice with me for a long time- knowing that other people saw my existence kept me going until I could leave home.

Hugs to you, now and then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like you probably can get along with anyone, and everyone know not to f around either because you can handle yourself.

Accurate.

That's me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did a year of volunteer work in a maximum security English prison in between college and grad school. I often ate in the officers’ mess, where inmates served the meals.

A former prisoner sent me a letter care of the visitors’ center in which he thanked me for seeing him as a person and not a number. He said I was the first person in all his time there to have ever asked his name and he said how much he appreciated that.

I love this so much.

[Anonymous]

When we were just out of college, young adults in serious relationships, one of my friends told me that she and some of our other friends try to model their relationships after mine with DH. We’d been through some rough patches, big moves, distance, difficult in-laws, etc. Normal stuff, but things that can rough up young couples pretty badly. I was surprised, and she was surprised I reacted that way. She said we were really solid and practical, have a plan, and realistic expectations. She said we bring out the best in each other, and our love shows. It was nice to hear, and I fall back on that during rough times still, after 25 years.

My other is from today. I just started a new job, in a creative field I have a lot of experience in. I showed my new boss a project I had done at a previous job, and it blew his socks off. It was one of those things where it’s a passing conversation, and you show a photo expecting the other person to glance and keep moving. He stopped, scrolled through all the photos, and said he’d never seen anything like that before, asked how I created it, and immediately started thinking of ways to apply it to upcoming projects. When I showed it to my employer at the time, quite pleased with myself for the idea and the execution, he glanced at it and said “that’s nice.” It felt so good and validating for someone who understands the creative and practical processes involved to like something I created and want to use it in future projects.

[Anonymous]

you look like holly golightly

i was eating a croissant & drinking cafe au lait
it was an older lady

[Anonymous]

I was told after being laid off by a second company during Covid with a stay a hone wife, kids and mortgage to pay the following.

Don’t worry about losing two amazing jobs in a row. The fact is you got two amazing jobs and most people never accomplish that. It means you know how to get them and will get another.

I currently have my third amazing job

[Anonymous]

I always get comments on my glutes

[Anonymous]

I’ve received compliments about my looks most of my life but a recent compliment really stuck with me.

I was in the kitchen at work getting water and one of the paralegals said to me, “Larla (another paralegal) and I were just talking about you. We saw that you’ve been assigned x, on top of already having a,b,c on your plate. You always manage to appear so calm and together. We’d be wrecks if we had to manage everything you do but you’re always so composed.” It meant a lot to me because I don’t feel composed at all.

[Anonymous]

I have okay looks but am not beautiful. I was in a pub in Scotland, and this older guy (I was 27, so he was 40s) walked by a few times and finally said to me that he was a painter and wished he could paint a portrait of me. He loved my facial features. I assumed it was a pickup line and brushed him off, but it was a nice thing to hear.

[Anonymous]

Yikes, some very bad pick up lines here in this thread, including from prisoners.

[Anonymous]

When I’m out with my younger sister, everyone thinks she’s the older one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom told me that I'm such a good mom, she wishes I had been her mom. I know this sounds weird, but it was a huge compliment to me.

That's beautiful.

[Anonymous]

My son told me I was a "very impressive person".

He was the tough teenager, and he's really come out of it such a good human.