Many people have a difficult time accepting a compliment. Perhaps you have low self-esteem, feel obligated to live up to a higher standard or feel like you owe someone a compliment in return. Rabbi Shmuley says if you don't accept compliments, people will stop giving them. He offers remedies to help you to accept people's positive feedback:
Force yourself not to react negatively to a compliment. "Learn to just let [people] say it," Rabbi Shmuley says. Practice being passive about it.
Be thankful. Instead of shunning a compliment, learn to give thanks and appreciate the kind words.
Reflect on why you cannot accept a compliment. Rabbi Shmuley says he too has trouble accepting them because he sometimes feels he's not special.
Give compliments too. The more you practice giving them, the easier it becomes to receive them, Rabbi Shmuley says.
Learn to give yourself compliments.
Today's Shmuleyism
"A compliment is the human manifestation of appreciation for another. Therefore, when we reject a compliment, we reject our own virtue because it's not believable to us. When someone offers a compliment, be passive and just accept it. Let it swell your heart, and pass the compliment on."
