What do contracts, lost luggage, and hot Asian real estate agents have in common? If you guessed the first episode of “The T.O. Show” then you are correct! Yes, I watched it. I would like to say it was purely for research and that I would never seriously entertain such garbage, but then I would have to pretend like I didn’t watch the entire season of Vh1’s “For the Love of Ray J”.
It is hard to act like this is T.O.’s first TV show. He makes a show out of each and every NFL season. Some may disagree, but my favorite T.O. episode is the one when he was crying over the media’s treatment of Tony Romo. However, the episode when he spit in the face of Atlanta Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall (during a game) is definitely a close second. Terrell said it best in his famous quote, “I love me some me”. In his mind, the whole world is a show about T.O. and Buffalo is about to join the list of team’s that have learned that lesson.
It would be great if the rest of us could be our own biggest fans, just like Terrell Owens. (Ok, not exactly like him!) Right or wrong, people often depend on other people to help inflate their perceptions of themselves. That’s why one of the greatest (and cheapest) gifts you can give is a compliment. What you may not know, is that the way you give a compliment will have more or less effect based on the gender of the recipient. See below for quick tips to help your compliments become more meaningful.
TIPS for Complimenting Men
1. Ask for their advice: Men see this as a sign that you respect them and respect is probably their most important factor in a caring relationship (maybe even more than love). Women see advice as a way to think things out and don’t realize that asking for advice is a compliment and that not taking the advice could be seen as an insult. Consider limiting the practice of asking males for advice when you really only want validation, but already know for sure what you will do.
2. Be specific: Most men (and please forgive the stereotype) don’t need as many general compliments as women. They prefer their compliments to be more targeted and unique. This is probably because they tend to prefer logic to emotion. It is easier for them to see the logic in “I love the way you smoked the steaks; it had just the perfect mix of grill taste and meat taste” than “Great steak, honey”.
TIPS for Complimenting Women
1. Notice new things: Women like to think you are paying attention, so try your hardest to notice and then compliment their changing style. This is especially important with new hairstyles or lost weight. You will score bonus points for noticing smaller changes like new clothes, shoes, or makeup. If you think you see a change, compliment her on it immediately.
2. Volume: Feel free to “say it loud and say it proud”. Not to the point where it feels fake, but women don’t really get tired of compliments. If she does get tired of your compliments, it is a major red flag that she no longer cares what you think about her (which is code for, she no longer cares about you).
What the genders definitely agree on is the need for feeling both desired and appreciated. You can’t go wrong with a sexy compliment nor a few words of gratitude.
Speaking of compliments, please feel free to pay me a big one and help me spread the word. I would greatly appreciate it if you would send the blog on to your social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc) or simply send a link to anyone you think would use or enjoy it. You’re the quarterback; I’m just here to protect you.
IMPORTANT: There is something wrong with this post. Did you notice it? I will check in the comments for your answers.
Media