What is National Compliment Day?
On January 24, celebrate National Compliment Day by going all out with praise. The power of a compliment is pretty remarkable: either giving or receiving one can boost your happiness and confidence — making the act a win-win. You never know when someone could use some good vibes, so spread the positivity by giving someone a reason to smile!
History of National Compliment Day
Complimenting people on a good job, or praising them for work we admire, is so engrained in human nature that we do it without even giving it a second thought. Which is why we believe it’s important to compliment a good compliment! So, without further ado, here’s 3 of our favorite compliments in history:
1. George R.R. Martin’s fan letter.
Before he was a best selling author, Martin was a teenage fan boy in love with the world of comics. In 1964, he wrote a letter addressed to Stan Lee and Don Heck. In his letter, he praised the latest two issues of The Avengers and Fantastic Four, saying he had “finally come to the decision to have both mounted in bronze and set on a pedestal in the center of my living room.”
2. Maurice Sendak’s tasty art!
In 2011, Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are, told NPR that a child once expressed his love for the writer’s work by devouring it. The young boy had sent Sendak a charming card with a little drawing on it, which Maurice adored. In response, he sent a card and drew a picture of a Wild Thing with the words “Dear Jim: I loved your card.” Sendak soon received a letter back from Jim’s mother saying “Jim loved your card so much, he ate it.”
3. Clyde Barrow to Henry Ford
Famous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde’s preferred getaway car was reportedly the Ford’s V-8 powered Model B. In fact, they even died in one, after law officers showered their stolen Ford with more than 130 rounds of steel-jacketed bullets. Clyde wasn’t well practiced in writing, but between heists he took the time to send a letter to Henry Ford, proclaiming ” what a dandy car you make.”
National Compliment Day
40% of compliments accepted
A study found that when women received compliments in general, they only accepted them 40% of the time. However, when women received compliments solely from other women, the number lowered to only accepting them 22% of the time. Researchers conducting this study considered a compliment accepted when it was acknowledged or agreed to with a response such as “Thank you.” However, they found there were three main ways women deflected compliments: with a return compliment (“No, you’re the amazing one!), minimizing their achievements (“It was nothing”), and attributing their success to someone else (“It was really my co-worker who did all the tough work.”)
61% say it embarrasses them
So why do most women find it hard to accept compliments? Well, 61% of women say the main reason is embarrassment, followed by not wanting to draw attention to themselves at 55%, feeling uncomfortable at 47%, and 38% thinking the words weren’t meant sincerely. The thing is, many women feel that accepting a compliment makes them look conceited or full of themselves, which puts them in a tight space when they actually want to accept the compliment but aren’t sure how. The next time your friend deflects your compliment with a self deprecating response or a compliment aimed back at you, let them know that accepting your compliment, and them acknowledging something good about themselves, doesn’t make them a bad person.
63% accepted by men
Men may like receiving compliments more than women do, with studies showing that men only reject compliments 37% of time time. However, where women are usually complimented on their looks, men are often complimented on their skill. Many men have reported wanting to receive more compliments based on their appearance. But where the largest group that women receive compliments from is other women, most men don’t give other men compliments on their appearance. Though it isn’t common practice to do so, that can always change now. If you have a male friend that you haven’t complimented in a while, tell them something you appreciate about their appearance to raise their self-esteem and show them you’re paying attention to their fashion efforts
