COMPLIMENTS TO MEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18702, 7 May 1924, Page 14

COMPLIMENTS TO MEN.

. With all their *. subtlety, ,women -are : enripjisly J inept at paying compliments to men. • . They.. i too, prone to ; overemphasis. ; There are ' men whose vanity Sis so "colossal*, that; they can , swallow . anything, but the ordinary .man has a vague suspicion that he is not a compound of -all the virtues,.arid he - detects* the insincerity of r over-praise and resents it. • A compliment, to '■ be ; • effective with :' a man, must -Ibei',' administered v delicately. It ,must be so deftly disguised f that ho [ ' does not recognise-it as a compliment: J Arid - it; must be individual, , or, appear to be so. \V In J their eagerne to . please, ; women often ■ bestow | their ■■ compliments - too"' universally. The paean of praise -that -would sound sweet in* Tom's ears, if • sung xto him ;;. alone, loses ;- its) music when : chanted also to Dick and ; Harry., The artist in flattery avoids direct compliments. ;|;^ She expresses adulation ibv implication alone. : > An exquisite example -of this 1: is ! afforded by the woman ! who ? achieved ; her reputation "as v a fascinating host Ksssini by greeting ejich .: truest ."with;;a Iraptuous'smile arid the exclama- •' tion, "At. last ! ,r and speeding each one I " with a hand-clasp and ' a sad, murmured "So' soon." '' v -V ' j • < - -. .. ', .•.: '* . " - ' , •?.!.- ft. _. »'• * ' ,* T i'i.' The content of a',compliment is scarcely less important thant the method c? deliver- : ing it. . , Few men can resist the.assvmntion that "they; understand women. This is one of the compliments ..that can never ! annoy, however jmiijulnced, for the reason. 4 that the recipient will not consider that ■it is misplaced. ',s '''f' \. *" Nearly |as • potent ;is delicately implied ! faith; in -a man's honour.'- This' compli- ' A ment may;.? even be j the: source of his re- ; demotion. . V , • X,u' . , - i •". Men are rirdnd of thpi.r. ; abilityJko' handle j difficult'; situations. The ! clever womnn ! \ delicately" insinuates' that she 5 shares tlir-ir j prided/ 5 Never does she suggest thai'she > could have risen :to the 1 crisis : qaite :as j successfully. ,* "". . - : - - I • Women may smile .at these vanities, ! but., no .wise woman urider-estjmatesj their ! . imports nee to - ers»lf. ; • If; meri were not "snscentible to- comoliments; -sad would be the fate of 'women; No. ; argument is i so; forceful' as a subtle compliment. ' ' ' ■■■"■' ' •' - ■ • ■ - .