How to respond to a compliment
Expert sources (3)
- 1
The PSYCHOLOGICAL TRICKS To Persuade & Influence ANYONE! | Robert Cialdini & Lewis Howes
Dr. Robert CialdiniSocial psychologist - 2
81. Build a Presence People Remember (Lorraine K. Lee)
Lorraine K. LeeCommunication expert - 3
The Body Language Expert: 4 Body Language Tricks That Will Make People Love You & Respect You!
Amy CuddySocial psychologist
Mentioned experts haven’t endorsed RiseGuide
Summary
When responding to a compliment, simply say "thank you" and accept the praise rather than dismissing or downplaying it.
Social psychologist Robert Cialdini frames accepting a compliment as simple reciprocity: when someone offers you a kind word, the natural move is to receive it and give something back, and a genuine "thank you" is usually enough 1. If the compliment is about help you gave in a relationship or partnership, you can acknowledge it without downplaying it, for example by saying it is just what partners or friends do for one another.
How you physically receive praise matters too. Communication expert Lorraine K. Lee and social psychologist Amy Cuddy both work on presence and body language, a reminder that an open posture and steady eye contact, rather than a dismissive shrug, are part of how your response lands 2 3.
Accept the compliment with a genuine thank you, acknowledge the kindness behind it, and keep your body language open rather than brushing the praise off.