Compliments That Wow a Man
From an early age, men get hammered with the same message about how to treat women: More
compliments, more listening, more romance. That's all well and good, as it should be. But
sometimes, especially as relationships progress, men can also feel on the short-end of the
fawning stick: Nearly 70 percent of men say they wish they received more regular
compliments from their partner. I'm not suggesting that every guy has to be coddled and
cuddled with verbal roses, but every once in a while, it's nice to throw one his way.
While guys aren't particularly amped by compliments like "nice eyes" or "you're so
beautiful," there are a few, simple things a woman can say to a man that really get him
going.
"Your arms are definitely looking bigger."
Men can be just as paranoid about the way their bodies look as women can be. In fact,
nearly 90 percent of men in a national Men, Love & Sex survey say there's at least one
body part they'd like to change (42 percent saying they want a new gut). While men don't
necessarily want women to lie if they're out of shape, it never hurts to notice he's
looking good - or at least trying to look better.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha."
Guys spend all of high school, the better part of the work day, and at least 12 times a
day via e-mail trying to make people laugh. Because men value their sense of humor as one
of their most important qualities, a hearty, genuine laugh is as flattering as it gets.
"Wow."
Doesn't matter whether it comes as he's getting undressed or after you've finished having
sex, this short, sweet word (best done in a whisper) may just be the ultimate ego-stroke.
A picture may say a thousand words, but this three-letter word sums up roughly 10,000 of
them.
"You the man."
Guys hear this all the time. From other guys. They hear it at work, on the golf course,
and when one dude from the group buys the beer. But if it comes from a woman - no matter
the context - the message is that, hey, we're buddies, too. Which is actually pretty darn
sexy.
"The kids just adore you."
More than 50 percent of men say that their families - more so than work and salary - are
what defines them most as men. So when a woman affirms that he's a familial hero, it's a
compliment that stretches way beyond anything you could ever say about his haircut.
"What do you think?"
We've all seen it a million times with long-married couples: They engage in cerebral power
struggles, where neither can concede on anything - whether it's the best way to move a
piece of furniture or the fastest way to reach the interstate. I'm not saying that men
should have the only say in decisions, but some guys do feel like they actually have very
little.
"Cute feet."
Typically, it doesn't matter much to men if women like a part of their body that they
don't control, like their eyes, jawline, or body hair. And typically, guys care for the
word "cute" about as much as Paris cares for the penal system. One exception: The part of
the body that is classified as being especially gross. Tell a guy he has good feet, and
somehow he takes it as a double-bagger compliment - that you not only like his genetics,
but also that you appreciate he can keep himself better groomed than the rest of the
gnarly-nailed heathens out there.
"Meow."
The stats show that 61 percent of men think their partners aren't sexually adventurous
enough. While a feline one-liner doesn't automatically qualify as adventurous, it does
show a bit of inhibition, and the message is one he likes to hear: That perhaps he's
brought a little bit of the animal out of you.
"Impressive."
Guys love feats. They love accomplishments. They love being acknowledged for their
strength, power, and, simply, their masculinity. So a well-timed observation like this one
- whether it comes after he carries a TV to the family room or figures out a way to fix
the pipes without having to call the plumber - feeds into his need to feel like the family
protector.
"I want you."
Women don't need to go on about a guy's eyes or hair or clothes. What a guy really wants
to hear is that he's the total package, and this acknowledgement of that - whether it's
referring to bedroom behavior or relationship stability - is the ultimate compliment of
them all.
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