Why Men Can't Take Compliments
Some nuggets that I found interesting:
[...]compliments from men were generally accepted, especially by female recipients, but "compliments from women are met with a response type other than acceptance": as a threat.
Men often see compliments as "face-threatening acts," or acts intended to embarrass or patronize, the study authors found. What was meant as a nicety could be seen as a way to assert control.
college-aged men were generally given compliments on skills, while women were given compliments on their looks.
While I do believe that there are those who give compliments as a genuine expression of positive assessment (which I genuinely appreciate), I often interpret compliments (to myself or observing those given to others) as acts of manipulation. From the relatively innocuous but annoying compliment given to trigger a kindly exchange of words or a smile (to which I usually respond with impassive silence), to the sleazy stroking of ego as a means to get what one wants (to which I usually respond with contempt), or the empty words of those who bestow the same amount of praise on a person who performs a menial task as on a person whose actions or results are truly deserving of admiration (everyone gets a trophy!).
I do like to think that the compliments I give to people are indeed genuine.
Anyhow, the statement about men seeing compliments as "face-threatening acts" reminded me of the scene in Goodfellas "I'm funny how?"
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