How confident are you in telling a female acquaintance/friend/co-worker/etc. (but if you’re single) she looks cute/pretty that day she does?

29 comments

1. I’m confident it’s inappropriate.

2. Compliments are ok but remember that they didn’t ask you to compliment them so they can react however they want to it. They owe you nothing. They can be rude, they can ignore you, they can say thank you or compliment you back, all are valid and at no point does a woman need to thank you or fawn over you saying something to them they didn’t ask for.

3. On a scale from 1-done that, I have done that.

   Also done that to unexpecting male coworkers

4. inappropriate to complement a co worker – that shit will get you fired.

5. If you have to ask, don’t. The guys women want these comments from wouldn’t even think to ask on Reddit.

6. I‘m not sure if it is because of a confidence thing but I don’t say anything like that to, especially female, coworkers to avoid to be misunderstood or misinterpreted and getting into problems because of that.

7. Acquaintance? Pretty confident. Just be charming about it.

   Co-worker? Hell no! I avoid women as much as possible at work and keep it extremely formal when I can’t. I like my job, no point in risking it.

8. Giving compliments isn’t bad. The next time when they approach us after giving compliment they may feel a bit more comfortable or feel free to talk. I have complimented many yet I haven’t got one

9. Friends? Girl that dress is rocking.

   Coworkers? That was an excellent job you did on that Excel file and you should feel very proud.

10. I don’t think complimenting anyone is over the line if it’s done properly. I’ve told my female coworkers that their hair is looking great or I really like their outfit or shoes, on occasion.

    I think if it’s delivered properly, it’s very obvious that you’re not flirting and just being genuinely nice. Obviously you need to have a decent rapport with them already.

    I’m not American though, I’m British and there’s a lot of seemingly small cultural differences like this that can really trip us up.

    Americans are definitely more outgoing and friendly on the surface, whereas we probably seem reserved and anti-social by comparison.

    But I’ve found that it’s much easier to form genuine connections/relationships with British people, once you get past the initial awkwardness.

    We are definitely more likely to be actual “friends” with people at work, rather than just co-workers in my experience, having worked in both American and British companies.

11. Depends. Sometimes you work with someone who doesn’t put a lot of effort and then one day after two years they come in all made up. I have no problem telling a female their hair looks nice on a day like that.

    You can’t say anything inappropriate, but a small compliment when effort is shown is not out of line.

12. I am confident enough, as long as it’s clear I am not looking for anything romantically. I have complimented female coworkers plenty of times (they had boyfriends/men) and it always puts a smile on their face. Nothing wrong with that.

13. compliment their clothing choices for good taste, that’s it

14. Zero problem with it. The real world isn’t like the internet, and 90% of people aren’t going to think you’re creepy about it, if they know you, or you are a known quantity.

    Caveat: you have to be careful how you say it. “Nice dress” while staring at her boobs? Bad. “Hey, I like that colour/pattern/whatever on you. Looks good” is good. “Nice shoes” while licking your lips – bad. “Hey, I like your outfit. Looks good on you” – good.

15. It depends on the compliment. I certainly wouldn’t tell a co-worker they look ‘cute’ or ‘pretty’ as it might come across as flirtatious and inappropriate, but I would perhaps compliment an item of clothing or an accessory if it felt right.

16. Not really, mostly because i half expect some sort of “i have a boyfriend” comment or its mistaken as flirting when i’m giving a sincere compliment.

17. Nope!!!

18. I am normally pretty confident about telling a female friend that even when I don’t mean it in a sexual way

19. Fine with a friend, questionable with an acquaintance and forbidden with a co-worker.

20. Compliment her clothes or different hairstyle as that’s a decision she made. Never ever comment on a co-workers body

21. I’m ok with any of those except coworkers, are you trying to get me sent to HR.

22. Fuck the hell no. I won’t say shit. Thankfully I have no female coworkers or superiors and any contact I do have work-wise is on zoom calls/conference calls which can often be recorded and there are multiple parties present.

    I’m not getting Johnny Depp’d because I told someone they’re stupid (because they are, not because I’m an asshole. Financial fraud and tiktok investing is retarded at best).

23. Why bother with the risk?
    For me, personally, it’s just not worth bothering over. If they want to be complimented, it sure isn’t from me.

24. Nothing wrong with sharing compliments

25. It is not confidence, there are real serious outcomes to open compliments in the workplace. Telling a female they look good is just not worth loosing a job over. Why take the chance? The benefits do not outway the risk. The charges do not have to come from the female okay with compliments, can be overheard by third party. I personally got wrote up because of a third party.

26. Acquaintance/friend? Ranges from chill to nervous depending on whether I’m into her.

    Colleague? Lol no fucking way would I jeopardize my work to make a simple comment.

27. The only compliments I’ve ever made to female coworkers were telling one that “her hair looks different today” (acknowledging that I noticed it, idk if it was a compliment, maybe it was) and the other time telling another girl, “wow, you’re all dolled up” (acknowledging that I noticed her putting effort into her makeup that day). One time, I told a married girl that she looked younger than her actual age (I wasn’t being flirtatious, I just meant that she looked younger) and she took it as me being flirtatious and began flirting with me (getting closer, smiling, laughing, etc.). I’ll never do that again.

28. I’d have to be drunk to comment on the appearance of a girl I know, especially if it’s to say she looks cute/pretty.

    Especially if I’m single.

    Had this work friend show me this picture that was taken of her at work and she was saying she looks ugly. I told her she looked happy in the picture.

    Not cute, not pretty. Happy.

    It’s different if it’s a woman I meet through online dating but irl people might misinterpret it in whichever way so I don’t bother.

29. It’s very easy to compliment a woman that I have no romantic interest in but if do have interest in her I won’t compliment her usually.