You never know what kind of day someone is having.
But when that person – who may have drama at home or trouble in the workplace – hears a compliment, it can be enough to turn their day around.
While many of us have undoubtedly been praised for our looks or how well we performed certain tasks, there are some unique compliments that stay with us forever.
Curious to hear from strangers on the internet, Redditor pokemonjk20 asked:
"What is your favorite compliment you ever received?"
Friends telling us we look good is always appreciated, but hearing compliments from complete strangers can be a major confidence booster.
The Elderly Man
"One time I held the door open for an old guy with an oxygen tube and tank trailing behind him with a nurse and he stopped, looked me in the eyes for a second, and said 'it's women like you who are why I fight not to be worm food'. I was really touched by the compliment and we hugged. It wasn't creepy like it might sound. The guy reminded me of Willy Nelson with long grey braids and a leather vest."
Hitting Their Stride
"As a middle aged white guy walking through Lowe's. An older black guy walked passed me and we exchanged head nods. I was suddenly hit with 'I knew you was cool just cause of the way you walk.'"
Forgivable Pickup Line
"Your a** could set sail to a thousand ships."
"It was a rather crude pickup line, but it worked on me because it is a Helen of Troy reference and I love Greek mythology."
A Sweet Encounter
"I was at a jewelry stand and someone had tapped me on the shoulder, it was an older gentleman and he said , 'I hope I'm not coming off as creepy, but you are the loveliest young lady I've seen all day.' I had smiled and told him thank you, and he simply tipped his head and walked away. To this day it still remains to be one of the best compliments I had ever received."
Teachers often make inspiring impressions on students they will remember for a lifetime.
It also means the world to our educators when they are complimented.
The Grateful Student
"On my last day working at the elementary school I used to work, a kid asked me to sign her yearbook. I grabbed a pen and when I got to her desk she had her yearbook open to the 'About me,' page, and told me to sign in the box that said 'My Hero.' I put every ounce of myself into that job, and I was already struggling to hold myself together that day but that's when I totally lost it."
Parents Explain Why They Regret The Name They Gave Their Child | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Impressionable Staffer
"I work as a secretary in a high school. One of my students introduced me to his parents as the person who always believed in him."
– MizzGee
Workers engaging with these particular customers wound up having memorable shifts.
Legendary Comment
"I used to bartend at an all female bartender bar. One night a group of guys sitting at the bar were discussing animals that each of us bartenders reminded them of. This was in no way derogatory. We were all having fun and all of us were into it. Anyway, so and so was the lion, so and so was the fox, etc. Then I said, 'My turn! What animal am I?' They told me I was the unicorn. All the other girls were so jealous!:
You've Got Style
"I worked at a video store - one store, not a chain - in the 1990s. I worked with a very cool dude. Very stylish and hip. I walked in one day, and he said 'Nice shirt! it suits you!'"
"It's been an easy 25 years since then, and it's still the most honest and appreciated compliment I've ever received."
Excellent Service
"I am a call center agent, right now I have been told that I am very attentive and that my service was excellent, that my concern for the customer is noticeable."
"I am smiling."
The Good Looking Barista
"I'm a barista at Starbucks, I'm a dude too, another dude came in maybe 25-30 years old. Told me I had nice eyebrows."
"Another woman came in later that day, and apparently was flirting with me but im just as blind as the next guy at picking up signs lmfao."
When those who have low-self esteem are recognized and given appreciation simply for being who they are, it's everything.
Loving Husband
"When my wife and I first started dating, she would always compliment me (still does), and being someone who was single most of their life, and had self esteem issues, every single one meant the world to me. She would just look at me, tell me that I had beautiful eyes, or that I pulled off the outfit I am wearing. To her it was just words, but to me it was going to work that day and not feeling like an ugly piece of sh*t. She'll never know how much she improves my mental health on a daily basis."
The Company You Keep
"im more of an introvert person and an extroverted friend once told me, 'I love your presence even though you dont say much, just having you here is fun."
Priceless Smile
"One time a girl complimented that I have really nice teeth."
"As a teenager I was really self-conscious about my crooked teeth. I was raised by my grandmother, who had a low level job in a company and made like 400 bucks a week. She also worked a weekend retail job to make ends meet. I have no clue how she managed to pay for my braces. But she somehow did (and anything else she could to make me feel like a normal kid)."
"So it was nice to receive that compliment as a boost to my self-confidence and a reminder of the sacrifices my grandmother made in raising me."
– arch_nyc
"Geborgenheit"
"We're German. So my friends and I played a game and one friend had to say one word that they thought of when thinking of every individual person. For me he chose 'Geborgenheit' which is a German word best described (I don't like the actual translations, the don't do it justice) as feeling 100% comfortable around someone/ in their presence. Like that feeling you have when you hug a loved person (like a grandparents' hug, you know?). The comfort and security you feel. It stuck with me because damn I want all my loved ones to feel like that around me."
It doesn't require much effort for a person to say something nice to others.
When you provide positive reinforcement on someone's self-esteem with a compliment, it can also make you feel good.
We could all use some love these days, so when you have an impulse to compliment someone, don't hold back on making that person's day that much brighter.
@winnieharlow/Instagram
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
