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I don't enjoy it when people compliment me. Why could it be? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Not to brag but I'm a pretty confident person in my social circle. I'm funny, make people laugh etc. etc.

Basically, I am adored by everybody.

But there is something that I noticed about myself lately. Regularly people come up to me to chat and sometimes they compliment me. Now, complimenting isn't a bad thing, obviously. But I just don't feel anything when I receive them.

However I enjoy it when people talk good things about me when I'm not present. I, again, don't feel anything when people talk shit about me when I'm not present. BUT I really enjoy it when people straight up come at me and say something bad at me. My mood increases and I spend the rest of my day happier.

Is this some kind of a defense/coping mechanism that I have unintentionally developed? I don't see anything bad about this.

It's also worthy to say that I spent the majority of my life isolated up until a few years ago. No compliments at all but nobody to say bad things either. Is this why I fail to appreciate compliments?

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 7 months ago

If you are exposed to lies and manipulations a lot, maybe you developed a defence mechanism against language.

I have, and for example my boss loves to fist-bump me and compliment my work. This means nothing to me because I know he's a POS scum human through his actions.

My aunt is one of the loveliest people in the world, yet she let slip once that she befriends people because they're useful to her. She's nothing but smiles and good gestures, yet it's only to use and discard you, as I've observed throughout her life. She meant it. Thanks, wine.

My father is in jail for basically being Andrew Tate.

Compliments can be real, and they definitely feel more real when they're still expressed behind your back, but from my experience humans are generally playing a shitty social game. That's why rude people are so great - you're actively putting yourself at a disadvantage in our relationship just to express yourself? Fuck yeah, preach your feelings buddy!