Friday, June 25, 2010

Compliments

Compliments, not complements haha math, don't make the world go round, but they help provide a little extra elbow grease to keep life running a bit more smoothly. On facebook, I recently copied my friend Laura's status message of:
If you "like" this status, I will post something on your wall that I like about you, no matter if we barely know each other or you think it'll be awkward. (Post this as your status for a challenge.)


I saw this last night and really appreciated the sentiment. It seemed like on of those slightly sappy little sweet nothings that the world can always use. The one thing I don't agree with in it is, which there is more discussion on later, the line "Post this as your status for a challenge". Optimistically, I chose to believe that this "challenge" is a call to people to be a bit nicer, a bit sweeter, a bit more joyful in their lives and appreciate their fellow man. Instead, I think some people may have read this "challenge" as a task to be completed, or as something mundane and forced like a long differential equations homework assignment. I do not agree with the idea of a "forced compliment" as Chelsea commented, or the lackluster attitude my friend Nick had towards it. Compliments should never be forced, and I try not to approach them that way, save for some awkward times meeting relatives and being polite. Perhaps that is why people don't seem to give compliments as they should. The lack of sincerity behind a compliment transforms it into not being worthy to be uttered at all.

It's all or nothing folks.

While I whole-heatedly believe that people should be a bit nicer, smile a bit wider and love their fellow man, if you are going to live that way, it has to be in truth. You can't, or shouldn't, bullshit kindness. I might be investing too much emotional stock in this, being a sappy dewy-eyed girl from JHS contributes to this, but so be it. If it means being thought of as silly, simple or ridiculous, that's fine with me, I'll have my animated flowers and happy woodland creatures any day.

Today is one of those happy summer days. The sun is shining a bit brighter, I will be in the company of family and good friends later tonight. Cleaning doesn't seem as tedious as normal, and even my coding attempts are going a bit smoother than normal. Today is a sharp contrast to my "bleh" day post. Stop and smile at the sunshine. Pick a flower and tuck it behind your ear. Give a glancing smile to those you see while walking to campus or around town. I meant every word I typed in posting those wall posts on facebook with the compliments. I apologize if some are shorter than others. They depended a bit on how well I know you since I extended it as a personal thank you and appreciation note as well as a compliment. I suppose that the overall implications of this post can be phrased as the following: live a little more truthful, a little more sincere, a little more joyful because no matter how much you want to hide it, everyone likes being sappy every once in a while.

1 comment:

  1. lolol, baww I hope you know I was just kidding with my comments. I understand your sentiment behind the status, I was commenting more from the perspective of the people liking it. "fhdjskfh need praaaiiiiseee" is kind of what it seemed like hah.

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