The Power of a Simple Compliment

The Power of a Simple Compliment

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This is a humorous video, but it is also instructive. This guy drives around the town yelling compliments at complete strangers. The reactions are priceless. First, we are just not accustomed to a stranger will saying anything positive to us. It’s just not “normal.” It probably feels awkward.  Second, once the awkwardness wears off, most people smile. Why? It feels good to receive a compliment.

Joe’s Perspective: There are times when I like a person’s style of dress, and I may want to say something, but 99 out of 100 times I keep it to myself. The same thing happens when I notice a stranger’s eyes or nail polish or even running shoes. I just keep it to myself. Mostly, it’s because I’ve been programmed to believe that complimenting a woman could be perceived as sexual harassment. Also, as a married man, I don’t want someone to think I’m hitting on them. When I think about it, it sounds silly. If a simple compliment can make someone feel this good, why not say it? I am going to give it a go. I will call it a social experiment of kindness.

Maybe, you too, should partake in this social experiment of kindness. As you begin the semester at school, give friends and total strangers compliments and see what happens.

Your Turn: What do you think of this social experiment on kindness. Will you do it? Do you think it will work?

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  1. This is a great article I think everyone should go by. I don’t think people fully understand how a single random compliment could mean to someone. One could be having a really bad day and a compliment could really just boost their entire mood and they will think about it all day pulling them out of their stress or bad mood.

  2. I think that this experiment would work well, and make many people happy. I believe that saying something nice to somebody, you never really know if they’re going through something, it could make their day.

  3. The article is about how someone thinks about giving a simple compliment but then doesn’t because of fear and after thinking about it he starts giving compliments because his excuses are bad.

  4. Doing a social experience like this can show people the true feeling of gratitude and It makes people feel good and appreciated

  5. I think that the person that is yelling is not being nice and has some attitude. I would not do it. I don’t think it will work.

  6. This truly just shows the power of positivity. Those drive-by compliment brought so many smiles to so many faces. What the guy may have cut out though is the other side to being so positive are the negative Nancy’s. The ones that after he said something, probably called him a creep or gave him the bird.

  7. Complementing a random person can turn their day around if they had a bad day it could make them feel appreciated and good about themselves