The Science Behind Compliments

I recently came across a video on Youtube of people reacting to being called beautiful. The director held the camera and simply said “I’m taking pictures of things I find beautiful.” Almost immediately, the subject’s eyes started to crinkle and their cheeks started to blush. They were truly stunned. One of the girls even started to cover up her face and turn away from the camera, as if she wasn’t worthy of such a statement. After the video ended and I wiped my tears (yes, I’m emotional), I was stunned and enthralled by the power of a compliment. How can uplifting words hold so much power?

In a study conducted on giving compliments at the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Nagoya Institute of Technology and the University of Tokyo, a scientific basis to the impacts of compliments was found. The studies prove that compliments activate the same part of your brain, the striatum, as does money, and both motivate people to work and feel better.

Study author Norihiro Sadata said, “We’ve been able to find scientific proof that a person performs better when they receive a social reward after completing an exercise. There seems to be scientific validity behind the message ‘praise to encourage improvement.”

It’s no secret that we all love to feel loved and receive words of encouragement, but how often a day do we actually pass them out? There is an old saying that goes “it is better to give than to receive.” I have personally found that doing the act makes me feel just as good as the person receiving my compliment. I felt like I had made someone’s day a little brighter, even if it was just for a second.

But, let’s face it girls, how many times do we give out a “fake” compliment or adhere to the basic, “Oh, you’re pretty!” When was the last time you told someone they were extraordinary? How about powerful? Pointing out characteristics of a person that aren’t related to their physical appearance means so much more. Inward beauty is just as, if not more, important than outward beauty.

Here is a list of my favorite compliments that I challenge you to give out today:

• “You’re such a good listener”

• “You’re so good at being creative”

• “You’re selfless”

• “You have such a great taste in ___”

• “You radiate confidence”

• “My dog would love you” (my personal favorite)

• “I bet Kanye would like you more than himself”

• “You have a beautiful mind”

• “You are inspiring”

• “I love your sense of humor”

Words hold a lot of power, give them a purpose today. Be a champion of happiness because girl, you are the bomb.com.

• compliments
• kindness
• mental health
• science