Are compliments hard to accept?

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LostInside

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Do you find compliments hard to accept? Or praise of any kind?

I'm just curious because I find them very hard to accept.
 
Yeap. I always want to disagree or make a joke but after a while you come to realise that thats annoying, verging on rude so after years I've finally managed to say a quick "thank you" and move things off in another direction as soon as I can.

That said I find them easier to accept if they are directed at something I've made or done than I do if they are directed at my personality or appearance.
 
more hard to believe theyre sincere and truethfull.
instead of just being nice or polite or something.
 
I sometimes think its a bit awkward.

Im a bit of a paranoid person, so if people comment on my work, i feel like the people around me will judge me for it (it happened in school all the time-my work was good, the teacher commented on it-the class hated me!)
If someone says something nice about my appearence etc i usually think they are taking the piss, or say something that throws it back in their face or makes me sound stupid like making a joke or accusing them of lying. I dont want to be like that, just its what i do!

But then again there are times when people say stuff and i just take it in, say thanks and just move on-would be better if i could do that most the time!
 
I enjoy getting compliments if it's about something I've done or my personality (most of the time)...
The compliments I usually have a difficult time accepting are the compliments directed at what I look like. To me, they are lies, so they just basically piss me off (depending on who they come from)
 
Oh heck yeah, whenever I get a compliment I get embarrassed for some reason. Sometimes all I can muster is a thanks when I feel they deserve more than just a thanks.
 
LostInside said:
Do you find compliments hard to accept? Or praise of any kind?

I'm just curious because I find them very hard to accept.

Yep, definitely really struggle to accept praise.

People have said I'm cute, sweet, kind, good looking etc. etc. but I've never actually believed they meant it. And I also feel super embarrassed when it gets said too. Kind of weird :(
 
Not really hard but hard to react on it. I don't doubt compliments, I am thankful for them as just as it's hard to accept them so as it's hard to give one, plus they're like presents :D They're not always there. But then I have trouble saying thank you, I have this weird feeling that whenever I say thank you, people would think I did not mean it and would offend them. Specially casually saying thank you, that's really a struggle. Sometimes, I pretend I didn't hear it, specially if I wasn't sure if the compliment was for me. But the best I can manage is smile and say it so fast avoiding eye contact.
 
jean-vic said:
Compliments? What.... oh, you mean those lies people tell me to make me feel better.

Guess how I take them. ;)

I think I could tell a fake compliment from a genuine one. But even if a compliment is loosely meant, the mere fact of someone telling me something to lift me up could also serve as a compliment. As it's always easy to ignore or not care about someone but to give a little effort to show care, that's good in my book :)
 
I too have difficulty accepting compliments.

When I started seeing Christi, (My weekly therapist) one of the first things she said was how cute I was. As soon as she said that, I completely wrote her off.

I understand you guys completely! I don't do it intentionally, it's sort of automatic.
For example, if my Mom tells me I'm handsome, I immediately become pissed off because I feel like its a lie.

Though this may sound really weird to someone who doesn't have this problem, I'm trying to accept them. Even though it's like pulling teeth to say thank you.... I still try.

I realize it's easier said than done, but try to remind yourself that your not as horrid as the thoughts you've internalized. Beneath the shell of negativity lies a person deserving of the praise that you feel doesn't accurately describe you! :)

Who knows, you may even learn to like it!
 
Callie said:
I enjoy getting compliments if it's about something I've done or my personality (most of the time)...
The compliments I usually have a difficult time accepting are the compliments directed at what I look like. To me, they are lies, so they just basically piss me off (depending on who they come from)

This is EXACTLY how I feel. I am self employed, and I know I do top notch work. I can easily accept, and actually love the compliments on my work.

Compliments on my looks from men, I always feel like they are just lying, like they just want some sex, and know that they have to make a lady feel special before she will give it up.
 
septicemia said:
Callie said:
I enjoy getting compliments if it's about something I've done or my personality (most of the time)...
The compliments I usually have a difficult time accepting are the compliments directed at what I look like. To me, they are lies, so they just basically piss me off (depending on who they come from)

This is EXACTLY how I feel. I am self employed, and I know I do top notch work. I can easily accept, and actually love the compliments on my work.

Compliments on my looks from men, I always feel like they are just lying, like they just want some sex, and know that they have to make a lady feel special before she will give it up.

^And this is how I feel.
 
It's hard to accept them in a way that I don't know how to react to them. I'm sure many people are being genuine when they compliment me and I greatly appreciate it. However, I respond in either three ways:
1) Say thank you as a question instead of a statement and look away shyly.
2) Deny the compliment without thinking, which I feel very bad for afterwards.
3) Insist that the compliment suits him/her much better, and I'm always honest when I say this.

I'm starting to learn how to accept compliments a bit better day by day, though I still feel very awkward when receiving one.

Some compliments are not genuine, but are said out of good will from the other person. I still appreciate these too since they do have good intentions and will respond in a similar way. If the compliments are not genuine, but said to get something out of me then I will point out to them that I know they don't really mean it.
 
Callie said:
I enjoy getting compliments if it's about something I've done or my personality (most of the time)...
The compliments I usually have a difficult time accepting are the compliments directed at what I look like. To me, they are lies, so they just basically piss me off (depending on who they come from)

Exactly how I feel.
 

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