What is the best compliment you have ever gotten from another person?

Several times, years later, I have had former employees come up to me and bring up some issue that at the time they worked for me they thought I was a hard ass about and tell me, “You were right about that,” and express gratitude for things they learned from me that have helped them later in their career. It made me feel great and feel that the hassle of management, a thankless task much of the time, was worth it.

I was recently told that I had all the positive qualities of being Jewish without any of the negative ones. I’m sure it’s not true but it certainly was a nice to hear.

@sferik That’s an awfully left-handed compliment.

I hate compliments, so I tend not to remember them. I do remember one I received from a young girl whose case I managed and supervised. She said I had truly been her mentor, and that she would always remember how I helped her become the person she wanted to be. I saw her move from serious depression and addiction, to being clean, hopeful and full of purpose; this was quite a reinforcement to the hard work I do; the outcome is rarely this positive.

A friend of mine was, lets say, in a very bad season (imagine your favorite team loosing all the games, and you loosing all your hope) and I showed up, I invited him to have a drink, we talked, I cheered him up (that’s what friends are for, right?) and at the end of the night, he gave this huge hug and said to me “thank you for always being there” That was it, the best sentence I’ve heard in my hole life…

“I love you.” :)

One of my students wrote me an evaluation saying, “You are the kind of teacher everyone wants to have.” I’ll remember that forever.

I get extravagant compliments regularly from my dog and cats, but I don’t know how to spell any of them. And no, I don’t deserve them.

One of my dearest friends told me that if she could be reincarnated, she’d want to come back as my child.

That just really floored me.

My former boss “moved on up” in the organization. A couple of months ago, a friend of mine (also working “upstairs”) told me that he had overheard him telling a national audience that “For my money, there is no better photographer in the organization than (insert my real name here).”
Gave me a warm fuzzy.

My daughter said,” Mom, You’re the best.” I’ve had other compliments from people that have made me feel good, and some made me feel proud of myself, but her words touched my heart like no other’s.

@sferik and @marina—I agree with Marina that that kind of comment about being Jewish is, in its own way, rather anti-Jewish. (She was more subtle and I’m trying not to say anti-Semitic.) I suspect, @sferik, that you have had better complements that that in your life!

What is the best compliment you have ever gotten from another person?

That we were the happiest couple he knew….

I have had students tell me their life has been changed forever in a positive manner because of me.

My career was advancing very quickly when my health deteriorated to the point where I could no longer work. Two Vice Presidents came by my office on my final day. One told me he had just accepted a very attractive offer from another company and told me he would be praying for a miracle for me and that I had a job offer with him for life with an astronomical salary increase plus bonuses and stock options. Another told me he felt that someday before too long he and everyone else would be reporting to me due to my personality, management skills and leadership qualities and joked that it was not because of my well groomed but very long hair (it set me apart and never held me back in what is the most conservative industry).. He also told me if I ever felt healthy enough to come back to work to come see him first. He is currently President. My VP called me to his office on executive row and was nearly in tears as he reflected on my career and said the best personnel move he ever made was getting me to transfer from another organization even though I had a lock on its top position and could have just rested comfortably on my laurels. The position he gave me was the ultimate challenge in my mind and I succeeded. As I tried to tear away with my final goodbyes, he grabbed my shoulder and led me into the office of the Vice President of Human Resources to whom he said “pay this man for a full year at full salary with all benefits.” The HR VP said there was no precedent for this. My VP told him that was fine, they just set one. That was the ultimate compliment on what was a very complimentary day. And yes, I earned their respect and deserved their compliments.

One of my best guy friends joined the air force last year and we hardly ever speak to eachother. A few weeks ago he texted me and wrote “I hate the fact that we’ve grown apart, you are the sweetest girl I have ever met, beautiful inside and out and it’s gonna be hard to find someone like you”. When I read that I cried, that is the best I’ve ever heard. I’ve had I saved ever since.

@marina: by “left-handed” you mean superior and more creative than other complements?

@andrew I do feel that way as a lefty myself (one reason I am so fond of lefteh). Someone once said to me that all left-handed people were intelligent and some right handed people can be. (no doubt a left hander.) Unfortunately, I meant the phrase in its commonly accepted usage.

From Bartleby’s: “A compliment with two meanings, one of which is unflattering to the receiver.”

I felt that ascribing character traits to Erik’s religious/ethnic background was an unpleasant generalization by the “complimenter.” If I was on the receiving end of that remark, I would have been insulted 1) that my traits were ascribed not to who I was, but to my religious/ethnic group or a religious/ethnic group and 2) that the sayer made those types of generalizations about anyone at all.

We left-handers have been negatively generalized about and viewed askance by the world throughout history. The Latin word for left is sinister and look what that means today. In French, the word for left is gauche, which as you know in English means socially awkward. Here’s a site with more of the same.

Someone said about me “is it possible to meet a nicer person? No, it’s not” Was really touched by her saying that.

I love you

If you actually love the person back and they mean it.

I guess I am going to have to post twice on this one:

My Mom told me earlier in my deployment, a few months ago:

“Your father and I are very proud of you for your commitment to the Marine Corps and your commitment to your wife.”

I once ran in to my old math teacher – he was a bit drunk at the time and told me ”[name], you are the biggest waste of talent I’ve ever seen!”
....I never did like maths.

I’ve been told as of late how inspirational I am. That was such a great compliment!

She married me.

chaosrob , great answer!!

This morning I got a pretty nice one:
Walking in to work, with my shades on, one of my colleagues commented: “Looking very Zsa Zsa Gabor this morning!”
....I think that’s cool :)

@wf Do you slap cops when they pull you over too? :)

Does wanting to count? But realistically I never had the opportunity – I’ve actually never been pulled over!

What? A+ in driving for you.

@wf Much better than the crack I got from a software engineer when I wore a dress one day to our casually dressed office. “Prom night?” he drawled as I walked past his cubicle.

I agree with berocky, the best compliment is “I love you”.

The other day, I asked my eight year old son if he would pin my wings on during my winging ceremony. Later, out of the blue, he thanked me for letting him do it. It doesn’t sound like much of a compliment, but knowing him like I do, the way he said it—well, it meant more than anything in the world.

@Poser what a touching story. Congrats on getting your wings!

Thanks Scamp!

same gender: I LOVE YOU!
No homo.
Great and yet so funny.

I thought of a more specific one. My teacher wrote in the comments for an essay I had handed in that he was much better informed from reading my work. I was amazed that my all-knowing teacher had learned something from me, and that he had thanked me for it.

My other most valued compliment was received after making a decision concerning a problem with one of my children at school. I listened to my S.O., listened to our child, I prayed about it, and then took decisive action. My S.O. came up to me later kissed me and looked me in the eyes and said, “I really liked the way you handled that situation, good decision!”

Those are the kind of words I have lived on through the hard times.

I was driving in the car with my little sister to the beach the other day (she is 14). We were talking about how she needs to get back into school and start studying ( my step dad has deprived her greatly from an education (she lives with him)). I am three grades ahead of her, and know everything she will learn her first year, because she will be going to a neighboring school. My step dad has told her he doesn’t want me tutoring her and “why are you so interested in school all of a sudden?”. I go wtf is his problem. My sister: “I don’t know I mean your my sister your smart, you can’t ask for anyone better then that. You just can’t.” It really just touched my heart. I love her so much, and she always knows what to say to me.

what’s wings?

A warfare insignia denoting qualification as a Naval Aviator.

so I am correct to think that you only get wings when you are in the army and drink redbull?

No I got my wings in the Army. I was in a Special Forces unit. They were Air Assult Wings ( jumping from helicopters) and I also had Jump Wings (jumping from airplanes).

No, you only get wings when you are in the Navy and drink whoopass from the skulls of your enemies.

@ Poser and gooch, thank you for your service.

@berocky1 shame on you for being disrespectful to the very men who fought for your freedom to say such ridiculous things.

for me a simple thank you is all i ask you.

@scamp—Actually, that’s a pretty good compliment. One I get a lot and don’t really deserve.

Someone in one of my design classes approached me after class and told me about how hard it normally is for him to get up in front of the class, but when he looks at me and sees my “dazzling” smile while he’s talking, it makes him feel 1,000 times better.

I’ve also been told that I was “perfect,” which was, of course, extremely flattering. But I think I enjoy compliments like the first more because they are so sincere.

I’m always grateful for compliments and enjoy getting them, but I’m often confused and suspicious about them too.

@bridold, sounds like someone likes you!! That is a good compliment too, but I think he may have eyes for you.

I wanted to ask this question, but I found it in my search yay searching!

One of the best compliments I have received was recently from a younger coworker. It went like this:

her: “I’d really like to meet your boyfriend, I bet he’s cool.”
me: “Why do you say that?”
her: “Well, for one, he has to be really awesome and super smart because I can tell you have really high standards.”
me: “Awww!”

That made my day.

Update: The biggest compliment I have ever recieved is to be called: My Soul Mate.

“Wow, good job on actually posting a legitimate answer on Fluther!”

@Fred931 who are you quoting?

@noraasnave My mother… why?

@Fred931 I was just curious. The is one of the most condescending compliments i have ever heard. That is the best one you have ever recieved?

@noraasnave Can’t take a joke?

@Fred931 I apologize I took you seriously. Some people on here have stories to share that are just that sad.

Perhaps I was wrong to think that most people take these questions seriously.

@Fred931, you were missing the ~ , that might be why we thought you were being serious :)

I sometimes don’t take the time to go through all the other answers before I make a joke like that, so I apologize. @noraasnave Your assumption is backwards; most people DO answer questions legitimately, but a few of us turn into little kids on the internet, such as Eponymoushipster or AstroChuck (Who is actually six years old).

@Fred931 Gotcha! We all have our playful moments. No problem. I have been out of contact regarding fluther for almost a year, I will get used to who is who soon.

The is the occasional rule for us troublemakers; for example, we can’t post a funnie when nobody else has answered yet. I think this regulation restricts each question from becoming a funhouse instead of the legitimate discussion it was supposed to be.

Also, you still have to be on the lookout for the occasional legit answer from these guys. I can get just as passionate in some discussions as everyone else.

Lastly, we can’t overdo it with wisecracks in every single answer on every single question, otherwise everyone would be making wisecrack answers and Fluther would become a funfest and eventually die out in self-decay and the internet would crash as a result and the apocalypse would occur and everyone would be killed destroyed annihilated.

That is how much weight we have on our shoulders as the accident-kids of Fluther; a group of approximately 50 foolish internet users that controls the fate of the universe led by a monkey and a little kid. That’s pretty damn scary in my opinion.

<understanding nod>