30 Ways to Compliment Someone

When I was a third-year dental student, our college organized a team-building workshop. It included a full day of seminars by professionals on teamwork and identifying personal strengths and weaknesses.

At the end of the day, students separated into groups of ten for some fun activities. One of the activities involved writing five positive points about each team member on separate sheets of paper. Ten minutes later, the papers were collected and passed on to the respective members to read.

Not much thought went into it, and I found myself writing a lot of general statements.

Once I got back my papers from others and started reading, one line stood out to me. Most of what my friends had written was about my hair, or style sense, and so on.

But one person had written this instead- She is always confident in whatever she is doing.

According to me, I was an anxious overthinker. I always doubted myself. But to know someone thought I was confident felt good. It sparked joy in me to find out that someone thought of me this way.

To this day, I do not know who it was. But, I left the workshop feeling elated.

There’s something incredibly powerful about complimenting someone. You can never fully fathom the effect one thought can have on another person. While many of us are uncomfortable receiving compliments, it is a love language for others.

According to Dr Gary Chapman, the five love languages are: Physical touch , acts of service , quality time , words of affirmation (compliments) and giving gifts.

When we imagine receiving a positive remark, it most likely has something to do with appearance.

You look beautiful.

I love your hair.

I love what you are wearing.

Your shoes look amazing.

That dress makes you look slim.

While these are powerful words to brighten up someone’s day, they are also familiar and easily forgotten. I have had many people complimenting my appearance that I don’t remember.

The words I do remember are ones like:

You always seem so confident.

You are easy to talk to.

You make me feel safe.

Personality affirmations go a long way in making people feel good about themselves. It reminds them that they are seen and valued for who they are. Statements that affirm a person’s effort and worth can have a much more lasting effect than ones praising appearance.

Here are 30 compliments you can give that has nothing to do with appearance:

You are so passionate.

I admire your work ethic.

Your perspective is refreshing.

I am proud of all you have achieved.

That was very brave of you.

You are a very supportive friend.

You deserve a hug right now.

You light up the room.

You are more helpful than you realize.

You have a good heart.

You are a wonderful human being.

You have a great sense of humor.

Thank you for being there for me.

You are strong.

You make me feel safe.

I love the way you think about things.

You inspire me to do better.

You make me a better person.

I like who I am with you.

You are making a difference.

I appreciate you taking the time to help.

Your face lights up when you talk about doing something you love.

Thank you for being trustworthy.

You’re a good listener.

You are enough.

You are so kind.

You can always make me laugh.

You are a gift to this world.

What you feel matters.

I am grateful to have you in my life.

Giving a genuine compliment requires us to look for the good in others. When you go out of your way to offer thoughtful praise to another person, it amplifies your self-confidence as well.

Compliments are a powerful gift for both the giver and receiver. You reinforce their value in the world while strengthening your relationship.

We often take the people around us for granted. Noticing another person’s positive quality and sharing it with them can bring so much joy to our lives.

Let others see the good that you see in them.