Hey guys, it's really not that difficult. Here's a handy barometer: Would you say it to another man? No? Then stop. Would you tell another man that he has a nice smile or beautiful eyes? Then don't say it to a woman!
I've been mulling this over and have more to add. Why do men only offer unsolicited compliments to women and not other men? Is it because we view this exchange as inherently sexual? Guy compliments random lady, she is flattered and accepts marriage proposal on the spot?
So it feels awkward for men to compliment each other without the 'no homo' qualifier? Then gents, it's up to you to change that. If you want to offer compliments to strange ladies, get in the habit of offering them to men too. It will change how you approach it.
Tell the random bro you love his shirt, or that his tie completes his outfit, or that his blazer looks smart. Then get bolder, tell a strange man his smile is dazzling, that his blue eyes sparkle, or he's got a rocking bod. Is that too far? Am I making my point?
Compliments and unsolicited advice often seem more about making the person offering the words better and not at all about leaving the complimented feeling better. So think carefully about your intentions before you speak.
Are you offering a compliment to genuinely make that random lady smile, or is it so you can walk away feeling better about yourself, with no regard to the feelings of the random stranger you just interrupted and possibly made uncomfortable.
Right, there still seems to be some confusion here. Being told I have a great smile feels so awkward, like 'cool, thanks, I was born with it?'. Being told my dress is pretty? Thanks, I love it too! I'll probably point out it has pockets or that I made it myself.
Being told I have pretty eyes? Uhhh thanks, I use them to see? Being told I have great hair on the otherhand? Thanks! I chose this colour myself and put effort into styling it. Though that might be really awkward for someone without pink, vintage styled hair...
Are you sensing a theme here? As women, we are already under intense scrutiny for our appearance, most of which we have no control over. So if you genuinely want to give a gal a compliment that will make her smile, don't make it about her face or body.
