Thank You, I Like Yours Too

When I was in high school a friend and I were out in the big city. She complimented the shirt of someone we just met. He said something like, “this old thing?” My friend said, “that’s not what you’re supposed to say. You’re supposed to say, ‘Thank you…I like yours too.’ “ I loved that!

I shared the exchange with my family and took the response to new heights. I think my favorite was when I complimented my mom on the pot roast dinner she made and she said, “Thank you, I like yours too.” Now, twe-mmm-hmm years later it still crops up in family conversations as an appropriate response to a compliment.

It popped into my head when I got a nice shout-out on a website for my other blog. When I read that, the first thing that popped into my head was, “Thank you, I like yours too.” And, P.S., I really do. Check out Kirsten’s Bulldog Marketing website if you want to know more about blogging and technology. (She explains it in a way that you can actually understand!)

So anyway, I was thinking about accepting compliments and how some people have such a hard time with it. What’s the first thing that pops into your head when someone pays you a compliment? Is it some version of “This old thing?” or is it “Duh, of course” or is it a simple “Thank you.”

If your first response is to deflect the compliment, you might want to spend some time thinking about why you think you don’t deserve it. Is it simply that you think that’s what you should do? Do you have a sense of unworthiness? Think about giving someone else a compliment. What kind of response feels best to you? Most of the time, a compliment is best accepted with a simple “Thank you.”

If this is uncomfortable for you, start practicing:

“Good work.” “Thank you.”

“You look great.” “Thank you.”

“Nice shirt.” “Thank you. I like yours too.”