I’ve always felt that compliments are like confetti. Whenever I think something kind about another person, I make it a priority to let them know. Giving genuine compliments to the people in your life is a simple and beautiful way to spread kindness to the world around you.
But sometimes our well-meaning compliments tend to focus on only one aspect of a person – their appearance. In a world where more than 50% of American women say they don’t like the way they look, isn’t it time we stopped being so obsessed with appearances? When we only compliment someone’s appearance, we tell them that that is the most important part of them. Our obsession with complimenting someone’s appearance can be triggering to those who struggle with eating disorders or poor body image. There’s nothing wrong with reminding your friends that they’re beautiful, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of their wellbeing and inner beauty.
Related post: How to be Body Positive as a Mid-Sized Woman
That’s why I’ve started to shift my complimenting away from appearance. Instead, I love to compliment people on their personality, achievements, or the way they make other people feel. Do you want to start spreading mindful comments too? Read on for 40 of my favorite compliments that have nothing to do with appearance.
Personality
Complimenting others on their inner beauty is an amazing way to start moving your compliments in a more positive direction. Rather than complimenting someone’s appearance, focus on the traits that make them so amazing.
- You are so kind.
- I love how genuine you are.
- You are wise beyond your years.
- You are so down to earth.
- You always look on the bright side.
- I really admire how generous you are.
- You bring so much light to the world.
- People gravitate towards you.
- The world would be a better place if more people were like you.
- Thank you for being you.
Achievements
Whether big or small, we all have achievements that we should be proud of. Use these ideas to compliment someone’s amazing achievements.
- You deserve all of your success.
- I am so proud of you for overcoming your obstacles.
- You have accomplished so many amazing things.
- Your potential is limitless.
- You can do anything you put your mind to.
- You have such a bright future.
- I love watching you succeed.
- You are so talented at…
- Look at how far you’ve come.
- You make me so proud to know you.
Behaviors
Everyone has special little habits that are worth recognizing. Help them realize just how amazing their actions are by saying:
- I love the way your eyes light up when you talk about…
- Your laugh is contagious.
- You are such a good listener.
- You light up the room.
- Your smile makes me smile.
- You always make everyone feel seen.
- I admire the way you stand up for what you believe in.
- I love the way you carry yourself.
- You are so eloquent when you talk about…
- You are always becoming the best version of yourself.
Impact
Show someone the impact that they’ve made on your life, or the lives of others around you. Try these impactful compliments:
- You helped me realize my own worth.
- I always feel so safe when I’m with you.
- You inspire me to be a better person.
- You always know how to make me feel better.
- I can see how much your family/friends/coworkers love you.
- I am so lucky to know you.
- You make others feel less alone.
- I love the way you give back.
- You help me see things in a new way.
- You have made the world a better place.
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What are your favorite compliments that have nothing to do with appearance? Let me know in the comments below! And as always, keep dreaming. I’ll see you back here next week!
Julianne, this list is genius. I love to shower people in compliments because who knows how many mean and awful things they heard before someone came along to nurture their spirit. Plus I feel like I am speaking life to myself. I enjoyed this post.
I could not agree more! So many people are suffering in ways we can’t even begin to see. If some small words can turn their whole day around, why would we not share them with others? Thank you so much for your comment!
This was such a good read! So positive! And so many compliments to give without ones based on appearance! I love this!!
Thank you so much, Jewels! We spend way too much time obsessing over appearance rather than what really matters. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
my heart is filled with joy when I read this truly amazing post. Thanks for sharing these magnificent compliments~!
You are so sweet, Hari! Thanks so much for your comment.
This is such a lovely list of compliments!! Thank you so much for sharing it’s such a lovely post 💗
Thank you so much, Rachael! I hope you found it helpful 🙂
This is a beautiful post! I endeavor not to comment on people’s appearances (only for those who I know really want that), so I think these compliments you named give us the language to tell others how they make us feel, or express to them something positive about themselves. Thank you for this!
Thank you so much, Nkem! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful. We’re so used to hearing compliments about appearance, but it’s so much rarer to hear a compliment about inner beauty! Learning some more of that language can open the door to so much more meaningful kindness ❤
I absolutely love this! Definitely saving this to refer back to, and to share with anyone who could use it! Thanks for sharing!
Aww, thank you so much Sian. I’m so glad it resonated with you! I hope you and anyone you share it with finds it helpful ❤
Aww, thank you so much Sian. I’m so glad it resonated with you! I hope you and anyone you share it with finds it helpful ❤
LOVE this post!! So creative!!
Thank you so much, Hallie! I hope you found it helpful ❤
This list of compliments has made my day! Thank you so much for sharing.
This comment made my day! Thank you, Nathalie!
As an educator I think this is amazing! I think it’s also important to be specific in the compliments and feedback I give my students.
I couldn’t agree more, Vonetta! I am also an educator and I think it’s so important to praise children and teens in the right way. Too much of our self-image comes from what we hear from others, so I always want to make sure they are hearing the kindest and most constructive words from me. Thank you!
Love the list. From the list, my favourite are ‘You are so talented at…’ and ‘Look at how far you’ve come’. I would love to get into the habit of saying, ‘I love seeing you succeed’ without envy getting in the way.
My own favourites would be ‘I like spending time with you/hanging out with you’.
Those are favourites of mine as well! Jealousy is a hard battle, but I find that learning to really own your own success can be a great first step. Maybe that will be a future blog post of mine 😂 thanks for your comment!
We are so much more than our outer beauty! Thank you for sharing these genuine, mindful compliments – I think they will (and should) mean more to the person receiving one.
Thank you so much, Kim! you are so right. I think these are the compliments that resonate with us for years.
This list is awesome! I pinned it, but I’d love to print out a list to have on my desk at school. Thank you!
This is such a great compliment! Thank you so much, Tracy. I’m so happy you appreciated it.
These types of compliments are honestly underrated! There’s much more meaning to them than having people just compliment your looks. Thanks for this post!
You’re so right, Cristina! They are so much more meaningful – they feel like the kind of compliments that will resonate with you for years. Thank you for your comment!
Wow, thanks for this amazing compliment list. This is going to help me a lot.
I’m so glad you found it helpful, Puja! Thanks for your comment!
I absolutely love this list, sharing on with all my friends 😀 You’re right, we tend to only focus our compliments on external beauty and that’s a shame because there’s so much more to our friends and loved ones than just beauty! I’m so glad I have this list to help me give great, meaningful compliments <3
Thank you so much, Maria! No amazing relationship has ever been built on outer beauty. We love our friends and family for everything they are on the inside and we should tell them that more ❤
Love this post! Anytime we can offer kind words to our fellow human beings, we should! It’s amazing how powerful and lasting it can be.
Thank you, Rosemary! You are so right. Spreading kindness is so powerful for others AND ourselves ☺
I love these! It’s so important to make others feel good about themselves, not just their appearances.
Thank you so much, Emily! We all deserve to be complimented on our inner beauty ❤ I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
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