The Power of Praise

By David Yep 

The world’s kind of vicious. Sometimes it seems like there are vultures circling ominously all around you. You make a mistake and “bam!” they fly in for the feast. 

I started noticing that especially after I began working more with kids. In school, it’s like survival of the fittest, jungle law. Without it even being something conscious, they pounce on opportunities to laugh at or make fun of each other. They’re adolescents; it’s probably just about affirming themselves and getting ahead. 

Among adults it’s not much different though. I constantly hear from people everything that everybody else does wrong. 

The reason is not really important.

The fact is, the opposite is also true. Praise is probably about as rare as criticism is common. Leaving couples and parents aside, when’s the last time you heard someone complimenting another person? 

Everybody likes to be shown love. We love being praised.

I have become convinced of the power of praise, because I have experienced it. It’s not about praising others just to flatter them or just for praising’s sake. In my mind, that belongs more to a courting room with fancily dressed ladies. It’s about showing authentic appreciation. You see the good in people and you let them know. 

NOBODY can give a compliment like a friend can. He knows you and knows also what matters to you and what doesn't.

It also goes back to our Rocky Bal-Baby lesson: sometimes people can compliment too much, praising things that aren’t important to you; whereas a friend will place that one well-said comment in exactly the place where you need to hear it. He appreciates you and you appreciate that. 

Take a second to notice the good in people. And then, try telling them what you see.