You have met them in restaurants, bank, supermarket, taxi... They had a striking appearance.

You wanted to tell them, but your loving heart saved you from being embarrassed.

Receiving compliments on one’s looks, work or property gives you a sense of satisfaction.

For women, compliments have become our daily bread. Most of them are from men, some raunchy, others genuine.

Others, of course, come from female friends.

If you are a lady and you have never received a spoonful of good comments from men, then know that your time is yet to come or there is something wrong!

Women usually accept compliments with a “thank you,” followed by a warm smile, so why can’t men accept the same treat from their female counterparts?
Many men doubt compliments from women, as if complimenting is a man’s territory.

Patience Nakitende, a marketing
assistant, says she gets bitter-sweet responses from men whenever she compliments them.

“I once complimented one of my closest male friends on his lips, but he misundeerstood me, thinking that I had a crush on him.”

Nakitende’s situation applies to many women who have been mistaken for making the first move, in the name of complimenting.

It is like calling a relative to know how they are doing, but they instead think you are broke and you need some help.

Some men stress that they feel weird when they are complimented by women because it is a rare treat. John says he has never received nice comments from women, not even his wife.

“If a woman tries that trick, I know she is after my money,” he says.

Maybe John has ever been complimented, but he did not notice it due to his mindset. It would still be hard for him to accept nice comments or compliments from the opposite sex.

“Sometimes it is hard to read a woman’s mind,” says Samuel Mugabe, a businessman. “If a woman wants you, she may fear to throw it in your face.”

Mugabe says women have different tips that guide them in conquering men’s hearts, and that complimenting could be one of them. So, do men also compliment for the same motive?

When it comes to complimenting married men, one has to be careful, lest she steps on thorny roses. But how will you know that they are married? Some are allergic to wedding rings, while others behave like bachelors.

Sometimes you meet a handsome, smart, married man and you think that God must have spent more time on him than he did on others. Telling him will not be easy; it will choke you like a fish bone.

Some married men would use compliments to fuel the “relationship” further, while others would turn down the “familiarity.” So married men, do you realise why you receive a few verbal compliments?

Men should learn to appreciate compliments without insinuating anything because if that was the case with women, they would be having countless sexual partners.

Failing to give my views on great things would portray self-denial, selfishness and disapproval of God’s creatures.

I will not stop complimenting good-looking men, whether married or not.