Qualifying Compliments

I think qualifying a compliment completely defeats its purpose. If you have to qualify what you’re saying, chances are it’s because it could be better. Don’t get me wrong. I do it, too. But that doesn’t make it right.

Think about it. What if I were to say, “I’m a pretty good basketball player for being short.”

That’s basically saying I could be better. But I’m short, so I’m not. Hmmm, Let’s look at some more.

That’s a good dinner for a box recipe simply means most box recipes suck. I look good for being 30 is no different than I looked better at 20, but hey, what can you expect. I’m 30. And I’m a good speller for not reading that much is just another way of saying I wouldn’t have so many typos if I actually researched my craft.

So I guess from now on, I’m just going to stick with the compliment and leave the qualifications unspoken.