Compliments

Last week when I was waiting in the lobby at the clinic while Tom met with his doctor, I encountered someone I hadn't seen for quite a few months. He had lived in the Dells for a while, moved back to Illinois for a bit and recently returned to our area.

He immediately told me that I looked like I had lost weight and that I looked great. I thanked him and then we went on to talk of other things, why we were in the clinic and so on.

Later, I told someone that the compliment, although sounding quite sincere, really meant, "Boy, did you look bad before!"

This is known  as discounting or deflecting a compliment, and I am a past master.

Our friend Michelangelo once told Tom, who was busy deflecting a compliment, "The proper response to a compliment is a simple Thank you."

I did remember to thank the guy at the time, but I went on deflecting and discounting in my head.

Another thing to work on!

But, hey! I am watching what I eat, and I can watch what I think.

I think.