The Surprising Dale Carnegie Secrets That Completely Changed How People See Me in Seconds
5) I give genuine compliments
Flattery never feels quite right. I used to think that offering a compliment was just a polite social habit, something you said to be nice. But people can sense when a compliment is empty, and if it feels forced, it doesn’t have much impact.
Dale Carnegie emphasized the power of sincere appreciation. Not generic praise, not flattery, but real, thoughtful recognition of something specific about a person. When I started doing this, I saw an immediate difference.
Instead of saying, “Nice presentation,” I’d say, “I really liked how you explained that concept—it made everything so much clearer.” Instead of a simple, “Great job,” I’d point out what exactly impressed me.
