One of these days I praised somebody for the great work she had done. After receiving my compliment she said something like: “That’s actually not that big of a deal, and I am not the only one responsible for the end result, but… thanks“. However, actually it was a big deal and the end result was mainly thanks to her. It made me think about compliments and “properly” accepting them.

Those of you who are active on social networks or have blogs of their own, you crave likes, don’t you? You want as much people as possible to give you that “thumbs up” – a modern equivalent of “a good job!”. Moreover, if your activity did not receive the desired amount of likes you almost feel like something important is missing. Recognition. We all crave recognition. Nevertheless, if actual recognition beyond a simple “thumbs up” comes their way, it somehow makes a lot people try to … apologize. Continue reading Compliments: how come we crave them yet fail to accept? →