So, a man has called you ‘lovely’ recently. Perhaps you’re wondering what that means, exactly? Could it be that they’re just innocently complimenting you, or could it be something more? There are several ways to interpret what he’s told you.
Being called lovely often means you are attractive or beautiful, especially when directed at ladies. It’s possible that anyone calling you lovely could be subtly telling you that they are attracted to you. After all, it’s not a word you hear every day.
However, you can also call someone lovely if they find you just generally pleasant and enjoyable to be around. The word also means good, nice, or interesting.
It can feel really good to be called such a nice word, and it can easily be someone’s way of telling you their appreciation as a friend, co-worker, or family member. In any case, it’s not a word that just anybody throws around in casual conversation.
Don’t feel bad if you aren’t taking the word ‘lovely’ as well as you think you should. It’s normal to feel confused, especially when you’re not entirely sure about the man’s intentions. In fact, a study proves that women often have more modest and reserved reactions to all sorts of compliments, even if they are well-intentioned.
This is especially seen when women are given praise by someone of equal or lower social status than them. On the flip side, men didn’t have any changes in their response at all when being complimented, whether it was by the same gender or someone of a higher or lower status.
In general, women just respond more modestly to words of admiration than men do, which may show shyness or embarrassment.
This just goes to show how much women tend to think about how they react to any given situation and that they are sensitive not only to how others see them but also to how they might make other people feel.
According to research done on how men and women compliment each other, it is very common for women to compliment each other on their appearance, especially in casual conversations and settings. It is somewhat rare for men to compliment women on how they look in a casual gathering, and even more rare for them to praise other men on their looks.
They would mainly compliment other men if it was sports or physique-related. However, in goal-oriented settings, for example, in education and the workplace, men and women would give each other their appreciation and compliments.
However, this was mainly in terms of their performance and not on other topics or categories. And, most times, men would be more prone to giving and receiving such compliments on their work ethic.
You can be called lovely by a friend, a co-worker, a roommate, or even an old lady on the street. But if f it’s a man you’re unrelated to, it may be difficult to figure out their intentions. It turns out that most people can differentiate when someone is talking to a friend or a romantic partner just by the tone of the person’s voice.
If you’re having reservations about how the compliment comes off, it might be because you sense something more is afoot. You need to think about whether he might have been dropping other hints of romantic interest before he called you ‘lovely’ and how you responded.
You can also try to think back on whether these sorts of words are common for him to say to other people in his life, especially the ladies.
If it seems he’s been dropping more compliments towards you overall that haven’t been directed to other people, along with a flirty wink or nudge, it may be safe to assume he might have some feelings for you. What you do with that information, though, is on you.
Most times, a person can tell when a compliment is genuine or not. However, it isn’t always so clear. Pretty much everyone has encountered a passive-aggressive person – someone who says one thing but means another and does so with the intention to hurt or confuse you without having to say it out loud and directly.
This aggressive behavior is usually indirect but makes relationships very difficult to maintain, as it’s hard to be open with such people. There are times when someone will give you a good word or a compliment, but it may be with a sarcastic tone, a grimace, or an eye roll. If you were being called ‘lovely,’ but it has a mocking or disingenuous character to it, it might be that he’s trying to hurt your feelings.
This is especially true if you already don’t have a good relationship with this person and if they have a habit of being mean to others. It’s best to avoid such people as much as possible or your own sanity.
There seems to be a huge difference, however, in how men and women perceive and receive compliments, especially ones that are appearance-based, such as ‘lovely’, or even comments that are romantic or ‘sexual’ in nature, especially in employment.
In a certain study, they found that women generally thought appearance compliments to be less appropriate and that others would see them as being less warm or approachable. Meanwhile, if men received such compliments, they believed it made them look more competent.
Women were also more aware of the perceptions and consequences that other people’s statements would have. That is, more often than not, people who were given compliments on their appearance were generally viewed as less warm and competent.
Perhaps a co-worker wanted to compliment you and thought it would make you feel good, but it instead had the opposite effect. It’s best to try to resolve such matters personally and make your thoughts clear, though you can always try to approach HR if you’re feeling uncomfortable.
If you’ve ever worked in the service industry, you know you can’t really please everyone, even if you try to. There are just some people who are hard to please, even with the best offered to them.
However, if you’re working for a restaurant or anything customer-related, a compliment or two from a client is definitely appreciated, and it doesn’t come often. Even when receiving good customer service, men and women also have different ways of expressing gratitude to whoever is helping them.
It’s important to note again that men are not prone to giving casual compliments unless they are highly appreciative people.
Also, they are more prone to making compliments about women’s appearance that can end up making them uncomfortable, especially if unwarranted. If you feel uncomfortable after such a comment, it may have been directed at you inappropriately, and it’s alright to feel that way.
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