It was a good week, thanks to Dan Ariely. I was able to use two letters from his advice column to create two posts.
In case you missed it, here is the first one about putting your camera away when you are trying to create memories.
And here is the second:
Dear Dan,
My fiancé is an excellent cook, and every meal he makes for us is delicious. I’m always giving him compliments, but I worry that over time they will be less meaningful because he’ll get used to them. How can I continue to praise his cooking in a way that shows I mean it? —Sydney
Here was Dan’s answer:
I wouldn’t worry too much about your fiancé getting used to your compliments. Research shows that receiving compliments is very motivating and that people who give them usually underestimate their impact on the recipient. One study that looked specifically at frequent compliments found they didn’t lose their effectiveness as long as they weren’t identical each time. So keep the compliments coming, but make sure to switch them up from time to time.
I wholeheartedly agree with Dan. I never get tired of compliments.
And I wouldn’t even care if the compliments were identical each time.
So go ahead, compliment away.
In fact, you can just copy and paste the following if you want:
Great post, Jim. One of your best ever. Loved the insight and the humor.
I think the key to giving any compliment is that it has to be sincere. Here’s my compliment for you: I’m still a regular on your blog because of the various and unpredictable topics you find to write about. I also like your self-deprecating humor.
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thanks, Pete. I always appreciate the thoughtful comments you leave…
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Great post, Jim. One of your best ever. Loved the insight and the humor.
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gosh, I don’t know what to say…
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LOL! I knew it! I said to myself Tippy is going to copy and paste that compliment! 😄
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it’s so weird that a few other people left the same comment. I guess it was a really good blog… 🙂
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Ummm….well….Yeah..I won’t burst your bubble. LOL!
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my bubble is pretty fragile… 🙂
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LOL!
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Have I told you that this was a great post, Jim? One of your best ever. Loved the insight and the humor.
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if you have, I’m fine with you letting me know again…
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By now you probably realize that this is a great post, Jim. One of your best ever. Loved the insight and the humor.
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You’re full of compliments.🤣
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Well, “compliments” might be a euphemism.
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🙂
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and according to Dan Ariely, that’s OK 🙂
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I think I read that before, someplace. 😳
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and hopefully you will read it again… 🙂
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that seems to be the word on the street…
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Great post, Jim. One of your best ever. Loved the insight and the humor. I learned a lot about condiments!
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condiments are to a meal like comments are to a post… they make it better 🙂
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And there are never too many….😁
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how true 🙂
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I appreciate you and your blog. and all of the stories and questions that come with it.
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thanks, Beth. It’s fun begging for compliments… 🙂
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I think we should all do it at least once or twice a month
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don’t encourage me… 🙂
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Great post, Jim. One of your best ever. Loved the insight and the humor. 🤩
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thanks, Norah! I appreciate your unique comments 🙂
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😂🤣😉
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Fabulous❣️
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thanks, Val!
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A little appreciation goes a long way. Wonderful post.
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yes, it does. thank you!
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At the risk of turning this into a Trump cabinet meeting… Great post, Jim. One of your best ever. Loved the insight and the humor. 😄
I think actions speak louder than words as far as what people like whether cooking or blogging or whatever.
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I didn’t make the analogy when I was writing the post – but it was so obvious. Yes, Trump does like getting compliments. I guess I have something in common with him after all 🙂
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I hear Twitter is looking for new customers. Please leave your application. Oh, be sure to tell us how smart you are. Include lots of references to nobody’s seen… 😎
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Twitter is the only stock I own as an individual stock. Today is not a good day for the stock. I hope they find some new customers soon! 🙂
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I and many others follow your blog on a daily basis because it is unique, always interesting and informative, and one of the best blogs out there. Keep up the great work at least until you hit the jackpot with more tire posts and retire to your private island in the Caribbean. 😊
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thank you for your kind words, John. And you know my end game… 🙂
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Actually it is a great post! the impact of a sincere compliment goes a long way and so does criticism, judgment and belittling. We watched the extreme version over the last four years. So, Great post, Jim. One of your best ever. Loved the insight and the humor.
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another comment, from salsaworldtraveler, also mentions Trump. I had completely missed the obvious connection between Trump and looking for compliments. Hopefully that is the only thing I have in common with him. and thanks for the kind words 🙂
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You have nothing in common with him!
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I hope not!
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Great post, Jim. One of your best ever. Loved the insight and the humor.
To add to the conversation… I’ve always made a point to complement my wife for cooking because she does 90% of the meals and I’m genuinely grateful that I don’t need to focus on this task.
As she is from a family that isn’t used to giving compliments it’s nice to see her transform from saying ‘oh, it’s nothing…’ to ‘thank you.’
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thank you for the kind words, James 🙂
it sounds like your wife enjoys getting those compliments, and it helps that they are genuine…
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I’m not great at giving compliments, so I’ll just say this post was ok and leave it there, if that’s alright with you 😉
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I’ll take that as a whopping endorsement… 🙂
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And so you should 😊
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🙂
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Lol, I too never tire of compliments, no matter what it’s about, and who it’s from. Even if people are obviously greasing me up for something, I’ll still take it. Anyway, great post, Jim! Love your thoughts as always.
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I guess everybody likes a pat on the back now and then. great comment, one of the best… 🙂
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Great post, Jim. One of your best ever. Loved the insight and the humour. [I hope you noticed that I changed the spelling of humour].
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ah yes, proper English. and thank you for the compliment 🙂
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I am glad that your posts are so much more exciting than numbers! I would repeat what Tippy said, but he repeated it once,twice,3x already! LOL!
Compliments are a great thing indeed, we all need them! They are fun to give and to receive. 🙂 Keep up the great work!
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you are really good at leaving such thoughtful insights, sprinkled with a dash of humor… 🙂
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Well thank you! 😉
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🙂
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Receiving a compliment energizes one’s attitude and outlook, and the giver sincerely feels good about sharing some positivity.
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it does seem to be a win-win…
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Great post, Jim. One of your best ever. Loved the insight and the humor.
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well thank you, Ian. your comment is one of the best I’ve ever received… 🙂
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Why thank you.
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👍
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Not one to be outdone even though I am late to the party…fabulous post-Jim it must have taken you much sweat and tears to produce such a masterpiece..BM for posterity x
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thanks, Carol! Maybe I will show some sympathy for your cold spell 🙂
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Haha…thought you might!
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🙂
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Ha ha. Happy to hear this. What is a compliment anyway? Never had one…
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