CLEVELAND — Be honest. You didn’t even know that January 24th was National Compliment Day, did you?
I didn’t think so.
In fact, I wouldn’t be shocked to learn that some of you might not have even known, until this very moment, that “National Compliment Day” is an actual thing that exists.
Your ignorance would surely be considered repulsive by many, but not by me.
So be not ashamed, dear friends, for I must confess that until very recently I too was embarrassingly oblivious to the very existence of this apparently hallowed annual occasion that both celebrates the saintly act of compliment giving and encourages people to compliment one another in honor of the day.
And to think, had my intrepid boss not brought this day to my attention by specifically assigning it to me as a field piece, I’d remain in the dark about this most courtly of holidays!
I believe I’ll use this opportunity to pay him a compliment, in the spirit of the season. Swell job, Adam! You’re great at finding fun stuff for me to do!
Of course, that’s just me getting warmed up, compliment-wise. Watch this accompanying video to see me compliment the living pants off of various, chilly Cleveland passerby, whether they wanted me to or not.
Also, here are some bonus quotes about compliments and my interpretations of what they each mean:
"A compliment is something like a kiss through a veil" -Victor Hugo
Ol’ Frenchy Pants is saying that compliments are nice but no substitute for actual gestures of affection and friendship. Until accompanied with action compliments are just so many pretty words.
"Ah, nowadays we are all of us so hard up, that the only pleasant things to pay are compliments. They're the only things we can pay."-Oscar Wilde
This is one of those things that doesn’t really mean anything and is just clever Oscar Wilde wordplay but if you say it out loud in a really pompous British accent it sounds brilliant.
"The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked what I thought, and attended to my answer.”-Henry David Thoreau
This means that if you’re ever having lunch with Henry David Thoreau, don’t look down at your phone at all or you can bet he’s gonna get all salty about it.
"A compliment is verbal sunshine" -Robert Orben
I’m not sure who Robert Orben is but this quote seems like it should be on my Aunt Meg’s Facebook page as part of a post that is just COVERED in glittering unicorn gifs.
"There is nothing you can say in answer to a compliment. I have been complimented myself a great many times, and they always embarrass me --I always feel that they have not said enough."-Mark Twain
The Classic Mark Twain “massive-ego-reveal-preceded-by-seemingly-earnest-humility-head-fake” maneuver. He was a true master of the art and indeed an early pioneer of what would one day become the modern-day humblebrag. Rest in Power Snark King! #RIPSnarkTwain
