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Men reveal touching compliments women have said to them that pulled their heartstrings

"After 49 years and 8 months together out of the blue she says, 'I’m still in love with you'.

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Men share the most heart-warming things people have told them that had deep impact.

Kind words and compliments can sometimes mean so much more than anticipated. And certain compliments from women to men can have a deep and lasting impact, whether they are from a spouse, parent, friend, or even a stranger.

In an online forum, member kitcat1098 posed the question: "Men, what has a woman told you that touched your heart more than you let on?"

And men did not hold back divulging the impactful things women have said to them. These are 21 of the best compliments a woman has given a man, according to men.

 man crying, man tears, man happy tears, emotional man, man emotions Tears Crying GIF  Giphy  

"A classmate in anthropology class, we were making casual conversation while we examined bones and I told her I had a brother and she asked me 'is he like you? So gentle?' I have very low self esteem, or rather a lot of self loathing. When I get a compliment my instinct is to think I’m being mocked or pitied. That one came out of left field, and it actually got past my mental defenses and connected. It was also genuinely, genuinely touching to me." DPPestDarkestDesires

"Ex gf and I were leaving her families' holiday dinner. I made a casual comment, something to the effect of 'Nana remembered both me and my job. I think she likes me.' And her reply struck me like a lightning bolt. She casually said (while still staring at her phone) 'Of course Nana likes you. You are a genuine and kind person. Who wouldn't like you?' She didn't mean it as a compliment. She said it like an observation that any other person would have made and seemed almost annoyed that I didn't understand how they both apparently saw my interaction with her. I never told her how much that meant to me." whovian5690

"After 49 years and 8 months together out of the blue she says, 'I’m still in love with you'. Separate_Gazelle3481

 in love, still in love, love, romantic love, kissing In Love Kiss GIF  Giphy  

"My mom passed away a couple years ago from Covid and I was her primary caretaker for over 10 years before that. She was a single mom and meant everything to me. I have really bad confidence issues and struggled extremely hard with depression. To be frank, I was a lazy sack of shit. After my mom passed I ended up losing everything and basically ended up having a trial by fire trying to become a functioning adult all within like 2 months. A couple months ago I took my Grandma (her mom) out to lunch and she looked at me and just said 'your mom would be so proud of you.' It hit me like a ton of bricks because I still feel like I'm behind everyone else at my age and haven't really ever experienced that before." EppsXIII

"I’m an engineer and used to be an engineering team leader when my amazing General Manager left for another opportunity. I was asked if I would like to be considered to take his place and oversee sales and construction in addition to engineering, as well as P&L responsibility for the region. I was wavering on it and told my wife, 'I don’t know. (My predecessor) was from more of a sales background and a better public speaker and …..' She told me, 'You don’t need to be (your predecessor). You can just be you and bring your own strengths and leadership qualities.' I got that job and have served in that position for the last 8 years. It was the best career decision I ever made, and thinking about that conversation with my wife still chokes me up." Scintelle

"My girlfriend told me that I'm the father to our daughters that she always wished she had growing up and I think about that all the time." Tydozer_

 smile, smiling man, emotional man, happy man, touching moment In Love Awww GIF  Giphy  

"Two women said, unannounced and without knowing my situation, called me a good dude they could always depend on, without prompt or self pity. It was..really, really, nice to hear." cgtdream

"My wife when she told me she was proud of me for standing up to my emotionally abusive parents after almost 30 years of keeping my mouth shut and being a doormat. I cried, but even that doesn't come close to letting her know how much that meant to me and words can't describe it." Deylar419

"Our daughter was born with a heart defect. She died at 6 weeks old. My wife turned to me a few weeks after the funeral and said 'you’re a rock all the time and I appreciate it more than words will ever be able to express, but it’s time for you to let it out.' I wasn’t okay for quite a few hours after that." BGOG83

"I'm a 50/50 single dad. I was in Walmart and a woman overheard me talking to my son, who was 4 at the time. We crossed paths later on and she stopped me and complimented me on how I talk to my son. 'There aren't very many dads out there who are like that with their children. It's really nice to see.' I was completely stunned and I struggled to maintain my composure with a weak 'Thank you.' I had to stop for a few minutes to process it and I was so overwhelmed that tears were flowing. I've been trying so hard to raise my little guy since he was a year old, struggling at times, trying to do things right. No one ever asks me how I'm doing, I've had people treat me like absolute shit since my breakup and I talk to only a small fraction of the people I used to. His mom and I are on good terms as co-parents and I won't ever budge from that. To have a complete stranger stop and compliment me like that just meant so much." j1ggy

 good dad, compliment, nod, agree, yes Proud Schitts Creek GIF by CBC  Giphy  

"Twenty six years ago a girl told me I had friendly eyebrows." OneTimeIMadeAGif

"'Thank you for bringing dignity to this dump.' -eccentric old lady in McDonald’s. Narrowly, I think she just meant the McDonald’s, since I was wearing a suit, but I choose to apply the sentiment more broadly." BubblyTaro6234

"(I found her father dying from a heart attack). It was a week later after he passed. We were in bed together she said 'you can cry and I won’t tell anyone'. I looked up to that man a lot and how he lived his life." hdlog43

"Had a girl seemingly out of nowhere ask me if I was doing alright yesterday. I don’t think I was putting out negative vibes or anything. It was just a check in. It was kind of awesome." abrandnewanthem

 happy, happy man, smiling, happy smile, excited man Happy Lets Go GIF by US Open  Giphy  

"My wife showed me a picture of her and our daughters getting some froyo and she said 'thanks babe for working so hard so that we can afford a treat on a Tuesday'. Somehow it made me feel like all the hours I slave away and don't have with my family are actually worth something. I got all watery-eyed and happy. It like refueled me." Engininja_180PI

"I’ve been close to only a few girls in my life. And one thing they’ve said about me is that I’m a good listener. I’ve always taken it as a compliment but I honestly don’t know what I did that warranted that comment. I literally just listened to them talk. I don’t take notes or give encouraging comments and honestly, I don’t even remember what they say sometimes. Anyway, I was talking to a girl I’m seeing and I brought this up and she agreed. I was wondering what she thought and was expecting her to give some insight but then she said 'but do they listen to what YOU have to say ?' I was honestly taken aback. I did not expect her to be concerned about that for me. And I was honestly so touched." zool714

"That she feels safe with me." Inside-Cod1550

 hug, safety, safe, feel safe, safe feeling couple hug GIF  Giphy  

"My girlfriend telling me she feels safe being herself around me, and then proceeding to meow at me and us proceeding to meow at each other like two completely normal people." BaconAndVibes

"'You're the only man that has ever treated me with respect.' I wasn't even trying flirt with her, she was my groupmate back in college and I treated her like any other bro. I guess its because she is very attractive that she gets a lot of unwanted male attention. It was both a compliment and something very sad for me." KapePaMore009

"I wasn't the easiest kid to have, nothing crazy but messy, lazy, etc. A few years after moving out my mom said she 'misses me so much' and here I was convinced she was exited to be an empty nester... got to my feels." steadyhands25

"I once had a coworker tell me I looked nice. To her it was probably just something of a nicety. But to me, well I still remember it 10 years later." BaddestKarmaToday


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17 heartwarming, funny and creative compliments that changed people's lives forever

"I wish you were my dad."

via Katie Treadway/Unsplash

A woman is complimented on her laugh.

Being the recipient of a great compliment can be really uplifting, especially if it is unexpected and makes you feel great about something you’re insecure about. Whether it’s our looks, personality, or how we handle our jobs, there’s always something we don’t feel right about and when someone gives an honest compliment, it can make you feel like a million bucks.

The great Mark Twain once said: “I can live for two months on a good compliment.”

Some compliments, when given by the right person at the right time, can be so powerful that they change the way we see ourselves. A Redditor named Curious-Repair-2606 asked people to share a “compliment you’ll never forget,” and nearly 2,000 people recounted the positive remarks they'll always remember.

The thread is a beautiful reminder to all of us to stop holding back on compliments and give them as freely as possible—that is, of course, if they are genuine.



Here are 17 of the best compliments that people will never forget.

1. "I wish you were my dad"

"Son's girlfriend: 'I wish you were my dad.' Could have cried."

2. "You're cute"

"A drunk girl at a concert told me I was cute. Still holding onto that one 5 years later."

3. A different type of guy

"She told me I was a 'man written by a woman.' Still not sure if it was a blessing or a curse I didn't pick up on the hint."

"As a lady, that usually means you’re doing a lot of things right. You’re a woman’s ideal."

"Definitely sounds like a blessing. Women often write fiction with emotionally competent, kind, passionate, hardworking men as the lead, so I'd say she was complimenting you."

4. "You're so beautiful"

"My fiancée Kayla, a few weeks before I lost her in a car accident, was watching me while I was doing something around our small apartment. She just kept smiling at me, and I asked her, 'Whatca smiling at baby?' She said so sweetly. 'You! You’re so beautiful.' I melted. As a man. I’ve never had such a wonderful compliment. My face turned bright red. She always made me smile."



5. The best dad

"My old boss and best friend were having lunch with a client and the subject of kids because the client was expecting. My boss said 'If you want to know how to be a good parent look at him (me) he's the best father I've ever known.'"

"That's a great compliment."

6. You're calm

"A friend called me calm and collected while I was dealing with social anxiety. They didn't know it, ofc m, but it made me question how I perceive myself compared to how others see me and helped me regain my self-confidence."

7. A princess

"When I was leaving my house for senior prom, a little girl walked by with her dad and said, 'Look, Daddy, a princess!' And i cried all my makeup off."

8. A great conversationalist

"14 years ago, a man sitting next to me on an airplane told me that I was the best conversationalist he'd ever met. He pointed to his headphones and said that he never talks to anyone on flights, but talked to me the whole time because I was so interesting to talk to. He gave me his business card and said he'd give me a sales job right now. It was SUCH a powerful complement that it changed the trajectory of my life and made me a much more confident person. Thanks, Monty, wherever you are now."



9. Radio voice

“'You have a great voice for radio.' Oddly enough I’ve gotten that same compliment a few times. Random for sure but was nice to hear."

"Same. I sometimes respond with 'Thanks. My wife also tells me that I have the face for radio too.'"

10. Great laugh

"Someone once told me my laugh could light up a room and it stuck with me."

11. Word to your mother

"I was 20 years old and working the ticket counter at the Amtrak station and I was chatting with a customer from Germany who was traveling solo around the US. It seemed like a friendly and standard conversation. I helped her with a smile, and she thanked me and walked away. Twenty minutes later she came back to my counter and handed me a small box of chocolate-covered blueberries and said, 'Please tell your mother she did a wonderful job raising you' and headed off to her gate. She didn't know that I had lost my mother to a drug overdose a couple months prior and was absolutely devastated on the inside. That single compliment and interaction has stuck with me for 22 years and I still think about that moment when I'm in a dark place. Wherever you are, friendly German tourist, thank you for giving me the strength to get through all those years ago."

12. Good-looking couple

"My ex and I were at Waffle House, and the waitress said, 'Wow, you two look like a couple out of a soap opera.' She sounded like that was a good thing."



13. A lively compliment

"My best friend got married a few months ago. I traveled to her city and stayed at her house for a week or so to help out and support her. Her sister has a 9-year-old son, and we spent some time together. It was my first time meeting them. After I got home from the wedding, my friend told me that the little boy had said, 'She breathed life into the place.' I just can’t forget what he said.

14. Good vibes

"Someone told me they liked my vibe. I’ll never forget that because it was about my personality and not my looks or style or something in that realm."

15. Great veins

"A nurse once said I’d make a great heroin addict because my veins are very visible."

16. Any hair will do

"My ex’s mom said 'I’ve seen you with long hair, a short bob, a long bob, and now a pixie, and you look absolutely beautiful with any hairstyle you choose.' I will never forget this compliment. I hated my ex, but her mom was such a sweetheart."

17. Never letting go

"That it took me 41 years to find you and I’m never letting go of you. That’s what my partner said to me the day we decided that we were more than friends and since then, our lives are just full of love and mutual respect."

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Joy

Dapper British man delights strangers with 'devastatingly effective' compliments

He'll turn you into an expert at delivering compliments in under a minute.

via TroyHawke/TikTok

Comedian Troy Hawke explains the art of the compliment.

Complimenting a totally random stranger on the street is a great way to get some serious side-eye. But British comedian Troy Hawke is such a master at the unique and sincere compliment that he spreads a bit of joy wherever he goes.

Hawke’s comedic persona is an erudite, sophisticated 1930s Errol Flynn-style throwback, and people seem to appreciate a compliment from a man who clearly has mastered the art of etiquette and grace.

In a recent TikTok video that received over 9 million views, the comedian throws a total charm storm on Notting Hill in London, where he compliments strangers on their wardrobes, how they walk and their driving skills. The cool thing is that everyone who receives a compliment from Hawke seems to enjoy the encounter.

The video is a friendly reminder that a well-timed and accurate compliment can be powerful. "Compliments are simple but not easy. Trust me," Hawke says, noting that it's especially difficult for English people to accept one. "Sincerely appreciating something someone has made an effort on will make their day.”

“The more unique, the more bespoke [the compliment], the more devastatingly effective,” Hawke adds. “Get it right, and it’s like a natural high for the pair of you.”

Hawke’s video is a fun reminder to all of us to be more thoughtful, sincere and prolific in our compliment-giving. They can really have a significant effect on another person’s day. The great Mark Twain once said, “My child, I can live on a good compliment two weeks with nothing else to eat.”

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See the exact moment a photographer told these women they were beautiful.

Photographer Mehmet Genç travels the world snapping pictures of all the interesting people he meets. But it's not always an easy job.

Genç and one of his subjects. All photos by Mehmet Genç used with permission.

"If you go to remote place, usually people there are not relaxed when taking photo of them," he said in an email. He asks his subjects to smile, to loosen up, but often they won't, at least not right away. It takes time to earn their trust and build comfort with them, he says.

So on a trip to San Cristóbal, Mexico, in 2015, Genç tried something a little different while taking pictures of a local woman.

He told her, "You are so beautiful." And he meant it. Her face lit up, he said, and when he saw the photo of that moment, he knew he was onto something incredible.

Right then and there, the project "You Are So Beautiful" was born, with Genç traveling the world trying to capture the joy people experience in the exact moment they receive a genuine compliment.

Those four simple words transcend language, culture, and age. His work mostly features women, but Genç said men like being told they are beautiful too. Who wouldn't?

These before-and-after photos are truly incredible. Here are some of Genç's absolute favorites:

1. A woman from Xela in Guatemala.

2. A 70-year-old Ecuadorian woman.

3. Margarita, 74, also from Ecuador.

4. A woman from the mountains of Colombia.

5. A young girl in a small Colombian village.

6. A woman from a Guatemalan village called Santa Maria.

7. Iwan-eva, a native of the Amazon region in Brazil.

8. A 17-year-old girl from Brazil's Amazon region.

9. An 88-year-old from the town of Atalaia do Norte in Brazil.

10. And Zarek, a 77-year-old native Arhuaco woman from Colombia.

Genç says the response to his project has been overwhelmingly positive, with many people wanting to recreate it themselves.

And while the photos are great, he insists the project is really about making people happy — and how easy it can be to do that.

"You can just say two words ('You're beautiful') and ... people are happy!" he said. "It's not important what age and where they are."

That's a message that can only be described as, well, beautiful.

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