Do you talk to strangers....

hey jennifer,

here`s a thought. i bet you would feel differently if suddenly you stopped getting compliments.

arizona

I`m also waaaaaaay too shy to approach stangers about anything, especially something as personalized as hair. There have been some times when I wanted to, if I saw someone with particularly pretty hair (altho I have short hair, I love long hair too), but I never had the guts to. I`m the same way if someone asks me about my hair; I get really nervous and tend to mumble and stutter.
Usually the most I can say is "Ummmm.....thanks."

lolll innit karonica, ahhhh ur cool!

and commenting on this topic, no i have never said anything like that to a stranger, like asked them what they done to their hair or what they used, or even said their hasir is nice.... although i want to, but im too shy to lol, besides, they would only think im a freak

but so many times ive wanted to!

This is a HAIRTALK board....Superficiality at it`s finest!! Let`s keep it that way. No depth please. No discussions about baing recognized for any thing else but HAIR.

I would no more compliment a person on their hair than I would anything else. The meaning, if it is someone I know who I know will appreciate it.
Strange people will feel uncomfortable.

karonica wrote: Hehheheeee!:D *~*Hi Liz!*~*

awww, i say ello! hope u fine n dandy m8! lolllll
bless ya :)

Hehheheeee!:D

*~*Hi Liz!*~*

grenwich wrote: with long hair and compliment them? I have been lately - it just seems the thing to do - lots of longhairs in Rochester NY. I have not had one person react badly either. How do people you speak to react?

Yes, at every possible opportunity...and no, only very rarely is the reaction less than positive!

As a wise man once said, a compliment today can save a haircut tomorrow.

Chris

I agree that it`s unfortunate that we often comment on appearance rather than behavior, but many times that`s all we have to go on. When you first meet someone or are handing your items to a cashier, you can`t easily say, "I am so impressed by how much time you`ve donated to charity" or "It`s amazing how many times a day you open doors for people" since you don`t even know the person. I believe that more superficial compliments, when sincere, are better than no kind words at all. It can brighten a person`s day and make even the briefest of conversations more friendly.

I`m not trying to sound like a pessimist, but here`s another thought. We tend to compliment people much more on their appearance rather than what`s on the inside. Americans, in general, are often accused of being superficial, as compared with European and other nations. When invited to someone`s house, it`s almost odd NOT to say, "Oh, I like your house and especially the way you`ve decorated {fill in the blank}.

When the focus is so much on the outside of the person, my own feeling is that it makes us all a bit more self-conscious about how we look. Before you may think I look like an ogre (!), I`m tall, blonde, blue-eyed, and not exactly unattractive... I`m not sure that a day goes by when someone doesn`t make some comment on my appearance -- my hair, my clothes, my sunglasses, and so forth. In one sense, sure, it`s nice to receive compliments, but in another sense, I really don`t like it.

Wouldn`t it be much more of a compliment if we commented on the way a person acts? When someone is especially nice or helpful, we`re commenting on something over which he DOES have control.

Although we choose the way we dress and the way we style our hair, very generally, our looks are genetic. I didn`t ask to be tall, blonde, and blue-eyed. It`s simply what nature gave me, and I have no control over it. Quite honestly, I`d rather someone tell me that he was impressed with a specific job I did or the way I treated someone!

Again, not trying to be a pessimist, but sometimes I just cringe inside when I receive compliments if I notice someone in the area who looks like she probably doesn`t receive many herself. It`s just awkward.

Just a thought.

Jennifer

I compliment people all the time on their hair-and virtually anything else that I genuinely admire about them. (I draw the line at "Your husband`s hot!" and "I wish my @$$ looked that great in jeans!") With strangers that tends to be just their appearance, since I know little else about them. I live in Michigan, and when I`ve complimented long hair or fun hair styles, I usually get friendly reception. A couple people have had expressions that scream "you are really weird" but when that happens I say, "Well I`m growing out my hair and I`d like it to look like yours; how do you get it like that?" Then they`re usually more than willing to open up. Once you`ve made someone feel like an expert in a particular subject, such as haircare, they will want to share what they know. It`s a sincere form of flattery. And it also helps if you need help from a store employee or cashier who looks a little frosty. You can brighten their day AND maybe find out what they use on their great hair.