A good compliment goes a long way.
It instantly makes a person feel better about themselves and brightens their day.
But while compliments about someone’s physical features are nice, some women prefer the kind that focuses on non-beauty related attributes, such as a person’s intellect or the way they carry themselves. Some women have even been told they’re good at setting boundaries!
Here, 17 women share the unexpected compliments they’ve received.
Out of all the unexpected compliments to receive, being told that you have nice ears is up there.
One Redditor was told that by a piercer when she went to get her cartilage pierced. We're all ears for nice compliments like that!
"I’m ~30 and I’m really good friends with a 75 year old woman (ex neighbor) and one day when I was leaving her house she said, 'I never had a daughter but if I did I hope that she’d have turned out like you.'" - u/auntielife123
Usually, when someone yells something out of their car window at you, it's not good.
So, one Redditor was pleasantly surprised when she was walking down the street and a lady rolled down her window to yell out that she loved their outfit.
"I was on my way to buy groceries last year when suddenly, a maybe 10 year old girl came over from the other side of the street, said, 'Can I just say that you're really pretty", smiled and happily skipped back to her friend. Made my whole life." -u/Cats_Cherry
Being told that you smell good is one of the best compliments ever! Really, it's true.
Since we can't always smell ourselves, it takes away any fear or self-consciousness that we smell like B.O. or something worse.
"'You’re very confident, you’re a natural speaker and teacher.' from a workplace higher up. It came from someone who doesn’t exactly offer much in the way of verbal validation, and so I was shocked." - u/ImCallingPapa
One Redditor was truly honored when she was told, 'you have incredibly beautiful hair" by a total stranger about her mother's age.
She shared that the compliment made her day, week, and month, and that she'll always remember it.
"I worked in a nursing home once and I was walking in the hallway when this 95yr old nun with her walker looked at me and said, 'Wow. What a body.' Made my day. And her 80something yr old friend adds, 'and she's so graceful too.' I always think about it and smile." - u/SultrySpitsFire
This next compliment came from a truly unexpected place.
A Redditor had spent time at a hospital for psychological help. When she went to a party when she got out, she ran into a girl who she was never particularly close with.
The girl told her to listen to the song "Drops of Jupiter" by Train because it reminded her of her.
"No one ever acknowledged what I had been through. She was the only one who told me (indirectly) that she was impressed with what I had overcome and who I was."
“Now you just look perfectly fresh and put together. You must have just gotten here!” Said to me this weekend by an older lady selling jewelry at an outdoor art fair that was SWELTERING hot and humid. I’m pregnant, felt sweaty, and had spilled taco sauce down my belly, but that lady made it all melt away." - u/rainsoaked88
Taking care of kids and a home isn't an easy job. It's even a source of insecurity for some mothers if they feel as though things aren't clean enough.
So this Redditor's day was made when their son's friend got picked up by his mom. When she came into the house, she said, “wow your home is so beautiful!”
"I was walking into Sephora, and one of the girls who worked there was like 'Omg, I love your cheekbones!' I know they get paid to give compliments, but I've always been at war with my own face, so it was really nice." - u/evaj95
Not all compliments are about looks. One Redditor was pleasantly surprised by a friend who told her that she was really good at setting boundaries.
This took them by surprise because they were always as being a people-pleaser. It was nice to have someone notice their progress.
"When I was 19 and working at a deli a woman told me I have beautiful porcelain skin. It wasn't true, she was seeing well-applied makeup in flattering low light, but it made my day because my skin has always been awful and I never dreamed I would hear that." - u/timeistheenemy
Mom guilt is a very real thing. It causes moms to feel like they're not doing good enough.
So, one mom's day was made when a stranger said, "you're doing great, mama" while her baby and toddler were having a tantrum at the grocery store.
"I was in my local pub and an older lady said to me that she always liked it when I was there because I’m very lively (actually I’m a total noise box) and that she always went home laughing. I don’t know where that came from but I’ll take it!" - u/Rosieapples
When we sing, people usually tell us to shut up!
But when this Redditor sang along to a song that came on the speakers in a grocery store, a senior lady came up and said that she had a wonderful voice. Lucky!
H/T: Reddit
