Five Reasons To Not Give A Compliment If You Don't Want To Seem Like A Creep

It's not that people are against compliments. It's just that what may lay beneath the compliment worries us.

1. DON'T: When you expect something in return. This can be anything at all: a date, coffee, even a "Thank you" or a smile.

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If you have any motive at all behind your compliment that goes beyond the simple desire that the person to whom the compliment is directed knows that they are *insert compliment here*, think twice about giving it.

2. DON'T: If there's a chance that you will become hostile if/when you do not get the correct (or even any) response

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If no response, or a response that doesn't mirror your ideal response, leads to you feeling resentful, agitated, even volatile, it's likely your compliment was not given free of strings in sincerity.

3. Speaking of sincerity, DON'T: When you don't mean it.

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Intentions of manipulation does not a good compliment make.

4. DON'T: When it's actually an insult in disguise

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Unless this is your intention, then, by all means, fire away.

In that case, at least try to be clever, like Judy Geller or, even better, Lucille Bluth

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"What? I want her to be prepared in case some bully at school was ever as clever as I am!"

5. DON'T: When it's for something ridiculous, like breathing.

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Unless, of course, you're going for a condescending tone. Or wish to encourage narcissism.

Again, it's not always the compliment that raises hackles, but what the compliment might be implying. Or the intentions of the person giving the compliment.