To want to start complimenting women more? (Strangers)

I love to compliment people.

I will often think that someone looks fabulous, but they're too far away or whatever to tell them. If I get the opportunity to say, I will. Like almost everyone else on here, it's always well received and people walk away with a little spring in their step. On the odd occasion I've been complimented, I feel the same.

Life can be so shit. If you can make someone smile with a genuine compliment, why wouldn't you?!

Oh I do it all the time 🤣 most days I’ll tell a stranger ‘oooh I love your boots’ or whatever, just comes straight out of mouth! Always been received very well with big smiles and thank you and ‘oh I got them from X years ago’ etc

I agree. I also don't mind getting compliments from men, as long as they aren't of the 'nice tits' variety.

Like OP it's not something I feel comfortable doing, but was queueing at a supermarket coffee machine early one morning behind a woman who looked really lovely and I told her so. She was so pleased and said she was off to a job interview.
And that made me happy as well that I had made her feel good.

I had a lady compliment my dress when I was waiting for a train back in the summer. I thought it was a really nice thing to do and she didn’t seem like a weirdo at all

I have had compliments from strangers and not found it creepy except when it's from creepy men.
I think complimenting something such as a hair colour, or nails or clothes is a lot less creepy than complimenting someone's looks.

"That's a really nice dress" is ok.
"You look pretty in that dress" could be creepy.

A lady called out ' nice coat' to me last week as I was leaving the supermarket. I thought it was nice of her and not weird at all.

I do this ALLLLL the time. I once left my office to run after a very elderly woman (90 plus) dressed to the nines and looking AWESOME. I always get delighted reactions. It's become a trademark and my kids now point women out "Mum, behind you, left, amazing trainers and hair" etc

I do this often. It really brightens people’s mood.

Really? I've had compliments from strangers (women) and they are definitely genuine. These women are not weirdos or taking the piss!

I've complimented (strange) women occasionally as well. It's not about boosting my own self-image at all, I only say it if I mean it.

Why do you think this is weird?

A woman stopped me when I was walking into the petrol station to pay and said “I love your dress, you look amazing”. I thought it was lovely, especially as I thought she was going to say my skirt was tucked in.

Not clothes related, but I complimented a woman much more senior than me at work recently on how she was handling a tricky priority shift. She was really thinking about the people involved and communicating it well. (The senior men...less so). Was a bit worried about coming across as sucking up but thought f**k it, she is smashing it, I'll just say it. She looked quite teary and I realised a) it had been shit for her too and b) we talk lots about helping women coming up the career ladder behind us, but not so much about reinforcing and supporting those ahead of us. I'll definitely do it again, especially for someone I admire. 👊

But yes. I think it's a lovely thing to do, and I ought to do it more often

This made me laugh.
So true of MN

I complement women all the time!

"I love your hair style!"

"That top really suits you!"

Etc

Never got a weird look before, just delight.

I have good hair and strangers sometimes say something nice to me about it. But actively decide you’re going to seek out someone weekly to compliment is a tad odd.

In the US, it’s seems to be the norm to get ‘what a beautiful family!’ type comments. We always laugh about it (in private).

Christ. You sound awful.

Nowt wrong with it. I have asked a couple of women where they get their hair cut and complimented people's children's outfits (exclusively Japanese and Korean tbf). I am happy to receive a compliment too.

Please do it! I went out last week in an unusual dress and got two random compliments and it honestly made my night (as most of the time I feel invisible since I turned 40).

Thursday I saw a woman in an amazing top and told her I loved it. Saturday it was a gorgeous coat, nice texture and one of my favourite colours so I told her too!

On this subject, here's a lovely Sharon Olds poem for you @TvGirll

I do it all the time. We are quick to criticize but very slow to praise. What's wrong in telling someone you like their hair/coat/whatever?

I compliment other women ALL the time! When I say all the time … I tell them if something looks fab! Little things like ‘I love your coat’, or ‘your hair is amazing’. It takes seconds and I’ve never received a bad reaction. Like you, it happened to me one day … I was heavily pregnant and a stranger just said I looked beautiful and blooming and it reminded her how much she loved being pregnant. And I made a resolution that day to build up other women whenever and wherever I could. And btw you’ll never be too old for them trousers 😊

It's a brilliant thing to do! I never have the courage to but my autistic son will give compliments to complete strangers all the time and it's always well received with a big smile

I think it's a lovely thing to do and am always proud that women are happy to compliment each other. We should build each other up.

On the school run today someone told me how much they loved my coat; really cheered me up.

Nothing weird about it at all. You do you