/We can all agree that it technically costs nothing to be kind to someone instead of ignoring them or bringing them down.
But we often forget just how powerful our kindest acts can be and how the nice things we say can stick with people.
Redditor MasterpieceLost4496 asked:
"What is the nicest compliment you've ever received from someone?"
Handwriting That Could Be A Font
"'Your handwriting is so neat that if you'd been born before the invention of the printing press, you would have been in charge of writing books.'"
"That was by far the most creative compliment I've received."
- PetitePrincess88
Fit For The Big Screen
"'Wow! You look like you're from movies!'"
"That was said by a little kid at my part-time job."
- SundayMorningTrisha
"D**n, that's good, because the kid's little mind is picturing the smoking hot women, and children don't lie well. It's a double-edged sword. A 'you're so pretty!' will make your day while a 'you're so fat!' can crush you."
- A_Grain_Of_Saltines
Lovely Locks
"I was walking along in a shopping mall alone full of teenage angst feeling self-conscious and a bit down in the dumps about my looks."
"At that exact moment, a complete stranger called over to me as they walked by, 'I love your hair!.' (I had it dyed pink at the time.)"
"It reversed my train of thought instantly and gave me a real boost at the most coincidental of times. I’ll never forget how good it made me feel having knocked me out my head with the complete opposite of what I was thinking about myself, that must have been over 15 years ago now…"
- Downtown-Ad9409
Parenting Wins
"They said that I’m a really good dad, raising my sons to be empathetic and caring young gentlemen. I’m a single dad with sole custody, so that means a lot."
- chewedupbylife
"They said, 'Your daughter is what everyone dreams their kid turns out to be when they are expecting.'"
- kalasha2
Safety First
"They said, 'You make me feel safe.'"
- Rigmarrr
"Honestly... one of the best moments in my life.... I was leaving a bar late at night... and a young girl came up to me and asked me for help. A creepy dude was following her."
"She asked that I walk her about 20 minutes up the road where she could meet a friend. I walked her. The creepy dude followed us the whole way until I left her with her friends."
"I felt good that she looked at all her options in the bar and felt that I looked safe And she was safe with me."
- aoteoroa
Hearing And Seeing You
"The nicest compliment I’ve ever received was when someone told me that I made them feel truly heard and understood. They said that I had a way of making them feel comfortable being themselves and that I brought out the best in them. It was such a meaningful compliment because it showed that my efforts to listen and be supportive were making a positive impact."
- ChchModGw
A Shift In Wardrobe
"Someone said I looked nice in this flannel shirt. My entire wardrobe now consists of flannel. Which, to be fair, I love. I’m like a Mexican lumberjack."
- ProperMulberry4039
A Calming Effect
"'Not sure if it's your personality or charm, but I feel very calm talking to you.'"
- Snapart_CreativeGuy
"Exuding calm is definitely a gift."
- GoblinAirStrike_311
A Shift In Perspective
"This was said straight from my fiance: 'You’re not fat, you’re pregnant. And you look so damn cute with your bump getting bigger and bigger.'"
- DressedUp2GoDreaming
Worth The Effort
"When I was in cosmetology school, I got this little old lady with the worst build-up and scales, etc., on her scalp. She was a regular that came in every week"
" I brushed her and brushed her and brushed her until her little scalp was pink and then I washed her and massaged her head so thoroughly, all the buildup and scales were gone, and her little scalp was pink! After I did her hair, she was so happy and told me she hadn't had anyone care for her so nicely in about a year."
"50 years later, I still remember how happy she was to get her scalp cleaned."
- Beautiful_Reporter50
Something To Aspire To
"I was having a really bad day a few years ago. I ended up in a Walmart aimlessly wandering, trying to take my mind off things."
"A woman and her three kids approached me, and her youngest daughter (probably between six and eight) wanted to say something to me but was too nervous. (I have an off-putting appearance, resting b***h face most of the time, haha.)"
"But after some encouragement, the little girl said I was the prettiest girl she had ever seen and that she wanted to look like me when she was older. You bet your sweet a** I cried in a Walmart when they walked away."
- The_TrashiestPanda
Hard Work Paying Off
"Back in college, I lifeguarded in the summer. I was working out a lot and had a tan and of course lifeguard glasses."
"A little kid, maybe eight or nine years old, came up to me and said, 'You look just like The Rock!'"
"I rode that compliment for a decade."
- hanginonwith2fingers
The Purest Of Compliments
"'Daddy, throw the ball to the moon! Daddy is big and strong and throw to the moon!'"
"My three-year-old almost caused an interplanetary incident with that. I would’ve thrown the ball through the moon had we been outside."
- SirChancelot_0001
When Someone Notices
"I walked into work one day, and a female coworker said, 'You look really good today' (I had actually taken the time to get ready that morning)."
"I said thanks, smiled, and kept walking, but then as I was walking by, she stopped me dead in my tracks, looked deep in my eyes, and said, 'I'm serious, you look REALLY f**king good today' and gave me what some may call the 'f**k me eyes.'"
"I will never forget that one."
- No-Plenty-4152
A Compliment Worth Waiting For
"I’m old, 66 years old, to be exact, and I received my favorite compliment today."
"Context: when I was young, I was always a bit overweight because I guess I had an eating disorder and craved carbs. It annoyed and maybe even disgusted my parents. But I was also really smart, especially in the arena of discussing social, political and philosophical ideas."
"Through high school, college, and afterward, my dad and I had great late-night discussions on those topics. These discussions gave me confidence in my intellectual capabilities, and I ended up getting a couple of degrees in philosophy."
"So, now I am retired and enjoy taking classes offered by my local university for basically, retired folks. As we were walking out of the class called, 'Good or Bad, Right or Wrong,' today, about how we develop our perceptions of good and evil, a classmate said to me, 'You’re really smart. Your comments always make sense.'"
"THAT compliment made me feel so good."
- Extension_Many4418
It truly costs nothing to be kind to other people and to say something nice to them, even if it's just a passing moment between strangers. It's obvious why each of these comments were so striking to these Redditors, and hopefully, these moments encouraged them to pay it forward to someone else.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
@islamoradalover/Bluesky
@hillbillybluedog/Bluesky