Sharing – Giving and Receiving Compliments

Child abuse survivors are uncomfortable with compliments. I don’t think that’s a shocking statement. I know many survivors and others who struggle with receiving compliments. Most of them also don’t give out compliments very often. (I include myself in both categories, though I have improved slightly over the years.

But what’s the big deal?

As Nedra reminds us, compliments given and received are opportunities for connection:

When we receive a compliment well, we are opening ourselves up to connection, and when we give a compliment we are taking the time to tune into another person. A kind word is never a bad move.

Haven’t we been talking over and over again about the lack of human connection and the impacts on our mental health? Maybe if we spent a little more time complimenting each other when a job is well done, or on a new look, or a trait that we admire, we’d have more human connection in our days.

As Nedra says, it’s never a bad move to be kind.

https://nedratawwab.substack.com/p/giving-and-receiving-compliments