Genuine Or Backhanded Compliment? Take This Quiz To Find Out

Backhanded compliments seem like compliments but actually contain subtle criticism or insincerity. Can you differentiate between actual compliments and backhanded compliments that you might be receiving or unintentionally giving out in your daily lives? Take this short quiz to find out.

Backhanded compliments are comments that contain flattery, but also include a comparison with negative implications. And they are common. Research says backhanded compliments are ineffective as compliments because recipients focus less on the compliment and more on the comparison to a negative standard, but this focus reduces both their perceptions of their ability and their motivation.

So, understanding what backhanded compliments are can help you find a calmer way to deal with them so that they do not diminish your self-esteem, and also educate you on giving better compliments that do not seem fake or ingenuine.