{"id":12268,"date":"2023-01-23T16:13:32","date_gmt":"2023-01-23T16:13:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/?p=12268"},"modified":"2023-01-24T08:41:46","modified_gmt":"2023-01-24T08:41:46","slug":"how-brits-feel-about-compliments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/how-brits-feel-about-compliments\/","title":{"rendered":"How Brits truly feel about compliments"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Brits are pretty well-known for not being the best when it comes to both giving and taking compliments. That\u2019s why we thought we\u2019d explore exactly how Brits truly feel about compliments along with the areas of the UK that most and least love giving them.* You might even refer to this as \u2018the science behind gratitude\u2019 \u2013 fancy name, right?<\/p>\n<h2>How Brits respond to compliments<\/h2>\n<p>Having somebody compliment us is intended to be a lovely little gesture but as we touched on Brits have a bit of a reputation for not knowing how to handle this situation. But is this actually true?<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-12270\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-science-behind-gratitude-e1674489101464-780x1024.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"657\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-science-behind-gratitude-e1674489101464-780x1024.png 780w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-science-behind-gratitude-e1674489101464-228x300.png 228w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-science-behind-gratitude-e1674489101464-768x1008.png 768w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-science-behind-gratitude-e1674489101464-1170x1536.png 1170w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-science-behind-gratitude-e1674489101464-1560x2048.png 1560w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-science-behind-gratitude-e1674489101464-1100x1444.png 1100w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-science-behind-gratitude-e1674489101464-800x1050.png 800w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-science-behind-gratitude-e1674489101464-84x110.png 84w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-science-behind-gratitude-e1674489101464-168x220.png 168w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Well, it turns out that it is as over half of Brits (55%) said that they feel awkward when given a compliment. In fact, 35% of people have gone as far as rejecting a compliment\u2026 ouch!<\/p>\n<p>These are both particularly interesting stats when compared with the fact that 75% said they actually love being the one to give out compliments. Over two-thirds (67%) even reckon they should be showering those around them with more compliments!<\/p>\n<p>Half of respondents (49%) said they feel it\u2019s easier to compliment others via social media which certainly explains all the glowing comments on the likes of Instagram. Meanwhile, a third of us prefer to receive a compliment from our partners (34%) which is unsurprising, especially if your love language is words of affirmation.<\/p>\n<h2>Which areas of the UK give the most and least compliments?<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-12291\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-areas-in-the-Uk-that-give-the-most-and-least-compliments-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"744\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-areas-in-the-Uk-that-give-the-most-and-least-compliments-1.png 4000w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-areas-in-the-Uk-that-give-the-most-and-least-compliments-1-202x300.png 202w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-areas-in-the-Uk-that-give-the-most-and-least-compliments-1-688x1024.png 688w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-areas-in-the-Uk-that-give-the-most-and-least-compliments-1-768x1143.png 768w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-areas-in-the-Uk-that-give-the-most-and-least-compliments-1-1032x1536.png 1032w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-areas-in-the-Uk-that-give-the-most-and-least-compliments-1-1376x2048.png 1376w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-areas-in-the-Uk-that-give-the-most-and-least-compliments-1-1100x1638.png 1100w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-areas-in-the-Uk-that-give-the-most-and-least-compliments-1-800x1191.png 800w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-areas-in-the-Uk-that-give-the-most-and-least-compliments-1-74x110.png 74w, https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-areas-in-the-Uk-that-give-the-most-and-least-compliments-1-148x220.png 148w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Okay, so we know more about how Brits feel about compliments overall, but which areas of the UK are most likely to dish out compliments like it\u2019s nobody\u2019s business?<\/p>\n<p>Coming out on top with 82% of respondents claiming that they absolutely love giving compliments are both Edinburgh and Bristol! It seems a quick trip to either of these cities might lead to you coming away with a quick self-esteem boost.<\/p>\n<p>Not far behind is the capital of Northern Ireland, Belfast, where four in five residents (80%) thrive on praising others. Next up is London (78%) which may come as a surprise to some given the stereotype that Londoners are rude although that is clearly not always the case according to our research anyway.<\/p>\n<p>Rounding out the top five is yet another capital city and this time it\u2019s in Wales! Over three-quarters of residents in Cardiff (77%) said that they enjoy making others feel good with compliments, how lush.<\/p>\n<p>And now onto the areas of the UK that are perhaps a little less giving with their compliments\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Revealed as the top place for being more selective with praising others is Newcastle where nearly four in 10 (37%) said they don\u2019t love the idea of giving compliments. So, if you do ever end up being complimented by a Geordie then that\u2019s proper mint!<\/p>\n<p>Up next are Glaswegians with 31% apparently reluctant to openly flatter someone else with a compliment followed closely by 30% of Mancunians who appear to share the same sentiment.<\/p>\n<p>Over a quarter of Leeds residents (29%) said they don\u2019t love giving compliments. Lastly, of all the top five cities pickiest with compliments, the most southern UK city of all is Nottingham in fifth (23%).<\/p>\n<h2>Tips on giving and accepting compliments like a pro<\/h2>\n<p>We\u2019ve gone through the stats, and they speak for themself, but what next? If you\u2019re looking to becoming a better compliment-giver, here are some things you can do:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t keep things to yourself<\/strong> \u2013 You might not be used to openly complimenting others but if you feel like someone deserves recognition then you should let them know.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Be sincere<\/strong> \u2013 Just because you want to compliment someone doesn\u2019t mean you should force it. Instead, find something that you can genuinely compliment them on and is specific to them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Avoid backhanded compliments <\/strong>\u2013 This feels obvious but don\u2019t follow up your compliment with something else that could be insulting. Basically, just think before you speak.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And if you want to accept compliments without feeling like you\u2019re acting weird, these are our tips:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Try not interrupting <\/strong>\u2013 While it might be in your nature to brush it off, you don\u2019t want to look rude or unappreciative by interrupting someone mid-compliment.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Say thank you<\/strong> \u2013 After receiving a compliment, remember to say thank you and not just stand there in silence awkwardly. It\u2019s an easy response and also shows your gratitude to the person as well.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Praise yourself <\/strong>\u2013 One way to get used to accepting compliments from others is by praising yourself more. If you\u2019ve done a good job on something, then make sure to acknowledge that. There\u2019s nothing wrong with knowing your own value.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And if you\u2019d love to give a compliment to someone special without necessarily having to do it face-to-face then our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/cards\/valentines-day\">Valentine\u2019s Day cards<\/a> do the job for you!<\/p>\n<p>To discover more interesting reads like this, you can check out the entire <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/blog\/\">thortful blog<\/a>. We\u2019ve written all sorts of Valentine\u2019s-related articles including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/blog\/the-signs-of-love\/\">the most common signs of love<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/blog\/valentines-day-date-ideas\/\">the most romantic Valentine\u2019s Day date ideas<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Methodology<\/h3>\n<p>*Survey of 1,500 Brits undertaken by thortful in January 2023 by TLF survey provider.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brits are pretty well-known for not being the best when it comes to both giving and taking compliments. That\u2019s why we thought we\u2019d explore exactly how Brits truly feel about compliments along with the areas of the UK that most and least love giving them.* You might even refer to this as \u2018the science behind&hellip;<\/p>\n<a class=\"read-more-link\" href=\" https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/how-brits-feel-about-compliments\/ \">Read More<\/a>","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":12269,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[471],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How Brits Truly Feel About Compliments | thortful<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Compliments may be lovely but sometimes we don\u2019t 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