Damn. Back handed compliments.

I don't know the answer but this did make me smile, because I do this all the time. I suffer from a chronic illness and if people tell me I look well, I find myself wondering if what they're really saying is, I don't believe you're ill. But if they say gosh, you don't look well, I think, gee thanks, I don't need to hear that.
I am trying to train myself to just take compliments at face value. This person thought you looked great. Take it for what it was and don't overthink.

It's just a common thing to say to someone who's lost weight. I wouldn't over-analyze. When people compliment you, they just want to let you know that they've noticed the changes you've made so they use whatever commonly used compliment phrase that comes to mind. They don't usually carefully choose every word to mean something. When you tell someone a new haircut looks great, do you carefully choose every word and you actually mean to tell them that their hair looked terribly ugly before?

Any compliment can be turned around to mean what it doesn't. "So you think I looked fat before?", "so you think I looked unattractively unhealthy before?", "so you think I was lazy before?", "so you think I wasn't capable of making good choices before?"...etc.

I personally don't consider this particular compliment backhanded (or most compliments for that matter) unless there was a clear tone/look that indicated it was. Even then, I have a habit of taking things at face value and question my perception in these cases. Getting all annoyed about something that could be all in my head isn't worth it, and if it wasn't all in my head, getting all riled up and upset feels bad and changes nothing, so I try to avoid it where possible.

It's important to understand that just as I have an inner dialogue and hidden judgments, so do other people. It's perfectly normal for them to notice things about me. I sometimes notice imperfections/improvements in other people, but it really means nothing. These are just observations that don't change the way I feel about someone. My best friend broke her nose when she was a child and it healed funny. I notice it. I think it's quirky. I think it's unique, but I wouldn't want it on my face. I also think she would look odd without it. I love my friend.

sijomial wrote: »

“Omg! You look so great!”
Clear, unequivocal and simple statement. Nothing weird in those words at all. It's just a compliment and nothing backhanded in those words at all.

You could just accept the compliment without searching for hidden caveats.

That you imagine a hidden "but you looked awful before" either means you have a low opinion of your friend or more likely a self confidence issue if it's been on your mind all day.

"I like your new haircut" does not mean "your old haircut made it look like you had been dragged through a hedge".

100% this.

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Omg! You look so great! = Damn, You look great! Theres nothing hidden no "now but not before" Nothing to be taken wrong it simple means you in that moment look great and shes likely proud of you, Anything you choose to read into it and be unhappy about is your own insecurities reflecting back on you. Choose to be happy and learn to take a compliment

jojo6mfp wrote: »

Maybe she was expecting you to look worse than you used to , not in a bad way , you just looked healthier than she expected after so much time ??

I know what you mean though, I met my daughters future mother in law 2 years after meeting her future father in law and I knew she was old enough to be my mother but was told she looked more my age and beautiful, glamorous, long flowing hair, lovely and friendly . When I met her, she had short bobbed grey hair and she was wearing a sari ( she’s not aisian or Muslim ), I just though aw she’s a sweet little old lady and yea looked glam in the sari, first thing she said to me was “ well your not what I expected “ (I’d put in a little weight on my tummy and was conscious of it ) I jokingly said I’m not that bad am I? She said just different , looking me up and down , I just smiled and continued the conversation to get to try to get to know her, but everything she said was stand off ish defensive.
I just thought to myself, you know what I may not be whatever she expected but at least I’m true to myself and I don’t snob anyone no matter what their status.

You just be you and be proud , who cares what anyone else thinks Hunni , laugh it off if they’re petty xx

Maybe she picked up on you seeing her as a 'sweet little old lady'?

Honestly I don't think that was meant as a back-handed compliment, just a true compliment. I'm sure she just thought you looked great, and wanted to tell you. Just like if you were to compliment a woman's outfit, you aren't saying her other ones are ugly. I compliment people all the time, I appreciate genuine compliments so I've always just assumed other people do too, it's meant to make them feel good!

Haha.... I sometimes think like that.

I teach kids (and for the past couple of years, all girls), and choose not to wear much makeup (if any). In my head, I don't need makeup to make me a good teacher, and for some reason, adding anything to my face seems to make me look like I'm wearing a shop full even when I try for minimal and natural.

On occasion, I "dress up" and wear makeup- for evening school concerts and end of year performances. I've had a couple of girls (7/8 years old) tell me how pretty I look... And I've jokingly asked if they thought I wasn't normally. They were mortified! Hehe.

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CoffeeAndContour wrote: »

"such a pretty face". meaning everything else is nayyy

I simply take it that they like my face. It could be that they like my body but not want to comment on my body because it would sound weird. It could be that they think my face stands out as attractive (like you would tell someone they have pretty hair). It could be that they think if they told me I was beautiful I would feel that they're disingenuous because an obese body is not typically seen as attractive so they assume I feel that way about mine. It could be that they like my face and want to let me know they like it, but feel my body is less attractive, in which case I don't take it personally because people like what they like. It could also be that they simply said the first thing that came to mind and I'm reading too much into it.

Really, no use in over-analyzing hidden meanings because it could be anything or nothing at all. I take things at face value and I'm happier for it.

SabotageinStilettos wrote: »

Are we to the point that even compliments are considered offensive already? If you think “you look great” is a backhanded compliment I would hate to see your post about the friend who didn’t mention your looks at all. This isn’t about her words at all, this is about your insecurities.

I think we are. And that's why I rarely compliment in the selfie thread. And once you compliment one person, then the others wonder why, I didn't compliment them. Once there was a guy who got offended that the compliments he received were too generic. There are few here that I compliment in the threads, only because I know they are nice real people, and would not take offense, even if my compliment was generic or creepy. At least I took the risk and the time out of my day to do so. Next thing you know colleges will offer a class "The Proper Way To Compliment Online, As To Not Be Offensive or Creepy."

Nothing from what was said insinuates negative criticism, insulting or even sugar coating. This person could have kept walking and said nothing, but they took a moment of their time to notice and tell you.

Case in point, I got complimented by a complete stranger the other day, it through me off for several moments. It totally made the rest of my day. I looked for confirmation from my husband by telling him what she said but it wasn't just about what she said, it was all about her stopping me to share her thoughts. I was grateful and I will never forget that.

Gotta learn to take compliments, there are nice people in this world so need to look for hidden agendas as what your friend said was certainly not backhanded.

jojo6mfp wrote: »

comptonelizabeth wrote: »

jojo6mfp wrote: »

Maybe she was expecting you to look worse than you used to , not in a bad way , you just looked healthier than she expected after so much time ??

I know what you mean though, I met my daughters future mother in law 2 years after meeting her future father in law and I knew she was old enough to be my mother but was told she looked more my age and beautiful, glamorous, long flowing hair, lovely and friendly . When I met her, she had short bobbed grey hair and she was wearing a sari ( she’s not aisian or Muslim ), I just though aw she’s a sweet little old lady and yea looked glam in the sari, first thing she said to me was “ well your not what I expected “ (I’d put in a little weight on my tummy and was conscious of it ) I jokingly said I’m not that bad am I? She said just different , looking me up and down , I just smiled and continued the conversation to get to try to get to know her, but everything she said was stand off ish defensive.
I just thought to myself, you know what I may not be whatever she expected but at least I’m true to myself and I don’t snob anyone no matter what their status.

You just be you and be proud , who cares what anyone else thinks Hunni , laugh it off if they’re petty xx

Maybe she picked up on you seeing her as a 'sweet little old lady'?

Not a chance I never offered her a chair or my arm to help her across the road

Ha ha