People Explain Which Things Give Them The Biggest Ego Boost

Everyone needs an extra reason to smile now and again.

A little reminder that we matter, or are not as bad as we think we are goes a long way.

Yes, it's a stroke of the ego.

But the ego needs a nice stroke every so often.

And it hits differently when the boost is unexpected or from a stranger.

Just last night I was out dancing.

Suddenly a stranger waltzed up to me because they needed to tell me my energy was infectious in the best way.

So now I'll look to pay it forward.

Ego boosts for everyone.

Redditor SeaworthinessHot3047 wanted to hear about the times they've been given a sudden reason to smile, so they asked:

"What gives you the biggest ego boost ever?"

Bless You

"Overhearing someone compliment or say something positive about you when they don’t think you are listening. When the older black lady calls me sugar or honey."

- Joshuataporco

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So Gorgeous!!

"I was in the mall bathroom and it was packed. While I was gussying up, the toddler next to me pointed at me and told her mom ‘Mommy look she's so pretty.’ I got shy because there were so many people. I'll never forget you little girl!"

- REDDIT

"I was in line at Target like 6 years ago and the little girl sitting in the cart ahead of me tugged on her mom’s sleeve and said, 'Mommy look at him, he’s the handsomest man ever!' I’m definitely not, but that made my day. Maybe my month."

- jhumph88

"Yes! Compliments from kids are such a boost because they don't lie about things like that. If they said it they mean it."

- Gugglepop

What She Said

"Receiving a compliment from a woman as a man."

- Damaged

"I see men on Reddit often saying that they don’t get many compliments. I feel for you, really. And I try to compliment men that I don’t think will take it the wrong way. Because here is the thing. We don’t compliment men because some men have ruined it for all men. They think a compliment is an invitation to flirt, or sometimes even to harass."

"Just because I like your eyelashes it doesn’t mean I want to f**k you or date you. I just think your eyelashes are thick and long and I want eyelashes like yours. That’s it. So you kinda learn not to say anything because what if he thinks you’re flirting, when you’re not."

- ArtisticPossum

LOLOL

"When someone genuinely laughs at my jokes ❤️."

- jenniferr3

"The best, the absolute best, is when you can make someone laugh who clearly wasn't expecting to at that moment. If you can get someone to drop their serious demeanor or splutter in laughter, it feels like you defeated them with your comedic skills."

- munificent

"I'm generally that designated funny friend of the group, and it's usually pretty common for people to laugh at my jokes. But the most memorable times are always when the sad or depressed person gives a belly laugh at something you said. Even more endearing when they're not part of the group and are feeling awkward or alone, but start opening up after laughing. :) "

- MarvelousMan3003

Only Me

"When my dog chooses to cuddle with me instead of anyone else in the room."

- SensualSilhouettee

"Or when I meet friend’s or family’s dogs or cats and they just wanna be around me. Animals like me and that’s the biggest compliment of all. Like walking down the street and a random kitty comes up to rub on me. Or I see a deer and her babies and am able to get within a couple feet of them to direct them away from traffic."

- blumieplume

#1

"When my son tells me that I'm the 'best mama ever,' It makes me feel like I can conquer the world."

- ohh_em_geezy

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FLUFFY

"The compliment I got from some random woman at a bar a few weeks ago where she said I (a man) had nice hair and then disappeared into the crowd never to be seen again. I remember your words random lady and thank you for them."

- jrubs38

"Ha, i got kinda the same at a festival after a gig from Hail of Bullets, I was headbanging quite furiously (that particular day actually made me quit it, it was annoying that i couldn't see anything anyway (cause that does not work with glasses) and i was walking around like drunk while completely sober, apparently some mild whiplash) and my hair, long red curls (yes, I've made several women jealous in my life), was fluffed up by the movements. And suddenly that one woman passing me is like 'OH MY GOD YOU ARE SO FLUFFY can I touch it? Please? Wow it feels so great' etc etc. Her boyfriend definitely did not approve judging from the daggers he was glaring at me."

- randomuserno1

I'm THAT Good

"People calling me a hacker in a game."

- project

"I remember back several patches ago in DoTA I played nothing but Broodmother, got really good at how she worked and became an absolute monster at managing her spiders."

"I was smashing an enemy group so hard several people accused me of smurfing and that made me incredibly proud of myself."

"Then they released a patch that completely broke how the spiders functioned and I uninstalled the game, and never looked back."

- ScrivenersUnion

The Good Guy

"At my first proper job the team in my office started becoming toxic and the one guy I was on good terms with called his girlfriend and I overheard him tell her that I was the only decent guy in the office. As someone who struggled with making and maintaining friends, this made me feel like I am no longer the asshole schoolboy heavily influenced by my a**hole father."

- EnchantingEva35

The Know-it-all

"When I get to exercise my vast collection of random information I have amassed over the decades of diving into rabbit holes on the internet. Being able to answer the questions most people say 'Who TF even knows this sh**?' feels so good! Makes me feel smart and educated even though I'm a dumbf**k dropout."

- DaGoodSauce

YAAAASSSSSS!!!!

"When the girls and the gays compliment my outfit."

- avocadotoastt1

"Some of the nicest compliments on my looks I've ever had are off gay guys. They're seemingly a lot less hesitant about letting guys know they find them hot even if they know the guy is completely straight."

- EverybodySayin

Hbo Tens GIF by A Black Lady Sketch ShowGiphy

Fur Babies

"This is weird, but here goes. When the vet told me, genuinely, my kitty was a good girl, a couple of grumbles, but liked the pets and loves and was cooperative. She has a checkered past, and when I first adopted her, her foster family had been kicked out of three vets. Her first vet appointment I took her to required three very experienced vet techs and the vet to be in protective gear. I just loved her and was happy to have her even if she was just a stone-cold psycho forever.

"I never expected she would become such a lovey and snuggler and be my little shadow. That she is a good girl for the vet makes me so happy for her and makes me feel like I did a good job helping her feel safe. I am also so happy other people get to love her too. ETA - this is important to me because growing up, as an adult I realize, the pets in our family were not well taken care of. It matters to me that I grew up to be a person who cares for pets well."

- BnCtrKiki

57

"I work at Walmart as a picker (I shop for online orders). WM can be overwhelming anyway, and when the store is busy, customers hate us, always saying we're rude and in the way, but one day I was in an aisle waiting for some customers to get by me and an older woman said to me 'you have the sweetest smile' when she walked by and it was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. My mom or no one else in my life has ever said anything nice to me like that and I'm 57."

'It really made my day."

- AFurryThing23

The Eyes Have It

"Recently a guy a the grocery store said 'Wow, you have the most vibrant eyes.' Then he turned to his girlfriend and said 'aren’t they amazing?' It felt like a huge compliment because I’m a guy and he clearly wasn’t hitting on me… and yes, I’m sure it was his girlfriend because he was all over her."

- ccc1942

All Hail!

"Whenever we go camping I always light the fire. Every year someone will try to usurp me and every year I will be dragged away from building my tent because they can't get it going. I am the fire queen."

- Big_Art_4675

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These are all great moments of joy.

I said it earlier, sometimes hearing it from a stranger helps cement it.

And kids, they really can see into the soul.

That is until life tarnishes them and makes them angry adults.

But let's keep it light.

Give someone an ego boost today.

And hopefully, the universe will send one back to you.