How to Accept a Compliment (Without Complicating It)

Most of us are out there in there in the world giving it our all. Looking good, working hard, being a true friend, an attentive parent, a dedicated employee and a contributing member to society takes a lot time and energy. I mean, just drying my hair takes a solid 43 minutes. It's not easy being me, you know? And wouldn't it be nice if just once, someone noticed?

Yet when someone DOES notice, and they do, many of us either freeze up or immediately disregard the kind words coming at us. Why?

According to Robin Abrahams, columnist for the Boston Globe, people feel that when they acknowledge a compliment, they are validating it and, thus, patting themselves on the back. "Gosh, yes, drying my hair DOES take in inordinate amount of time and upper body strength!" seems, oh I don't know, ridiculous.

But, according to Abrahams, deflecting a compliment is not modest or unpretentious; it's actually a bit rude. After all, someone has taken the time to not only notice you and your efforts, but has gone a step further and actually acknowledged it. That's nice, right?

You'd think hearing nice things about yourself would be easy, but in fact negativity weighs heavy. Aaron Ben-Zeev, a Ph.D quoted in Psychology Today, simplifies it: "To sum up, negative emotions are more noticeable than positive ones since attending to negative events is more important for our survival than attending to positive events."

Is that why accepting a compliment is tough, because we are built with the fight or flight mechanism that saves us from something scary and, therefore, we are gravitate toward something negative versus positive? To put it simply: Is running from a bear easier than accepting a heartfelt compliment?

Let's hope not. I've never run from a bear, but that sounds sort of hard.

Here's the good news: I do know the secret to accepting a compliment. Are you ready? Here it comes:

Say "Thank you."

Yep, that's it. Just say thank you. Resist the urge to discount yourself and, in doing so, the complimenter (let's pretend that's a real word just for today, okay?). Resist the "Oh, this old head of hair?! I've had it forever! It's nothing, really," comeback and be a gracious complimentee (let's pretend that's another word, just for today).

Here are some responses to get your through what should be a great small talk exchange but could, in fact, cause you to panic as if you are, well, running from a bear. Remember, you can accept a compliment and still gently lead the conversation in another direction which is the sign of the true small talk pro that you are -- here's how:

Is that a new car? I like the color!
Thank you! I've never had a red car before and I am enjoying it.

I loved your speech.
Thank you. I am so glad you liked it.

Dinner was delicious.
Thank you. My sister made it years ago and it's become a family favorite. What's your go-to recipe?

Your children are so polite.
Thank you. That's a really lovely thing to say.

Your new book is great!
Thank you; hearing that makes the hard work worth it. What else are you reading these days?

I can tell you worked hard on that report.
Thank you. It's nice of you to notice.

Your hair looks fabulous.
Thank you. Now, check out my arms!