‘Want to Create Greatness? Start by Giving Someone a Compliment!’
The Compliment That Could Change Someone’s Life
Sometimes greatness begins with someone believing in you.
I have a theory about human nature: Most people are walking around with greatness inside them, but nobody has bothered to tell them.
We live in a world where people are remarkably generous with criticism and surprisingly stingy with compliments. If someone makes a mistake, we notice immediately. If someone does something wonderful, we assume they already know.
We can spend twenty minutes explaining what someone did wrong, yet struggle to find twenty seconds to tell them what they did right.
And yet, a sincere compliment can accomplish something that a hundred lectures cannot. It can awaken greatness in a person who never knew it existed.
Why Did G-d Compliment Noah?
The Torah introduces Noah with extraordinary praise: “Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generations; Noah walked with G-d.” (Genesis 6:9)
Interestingly, neither Abraham nor Moses receives such an elaborate introduction. Yet Noah gets what sounds like a magnificent letter of recommendation, written by G-d Himself!
Was Noah greater than Abraham or Moses? Certainly not.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, offers a profound insight into the significance of praising Noah.
Rashi teaches that when speaking directly to someone, we express only part of their praise, reserving the fuller praise for when they are absent.
But why did G-d need to praise Noah at all? G-d already knew his righteousness!
The Rebbe reveals a remarkable principle: Praising someone’s goodness doesn’t merely describe it. It can actually strengthen and develop that goodness.
Noah was about to undertake an extraordinary mission: stand against an entire generation, build an ark, preserve life, and become the foundation of a new civilization.
Before facing this enormous responsibility, his goodness was recognized.
Not empty flattery, but genuine acknowledgment of qualities that could grow even stronger.
Sometimes people need to hear about their own greatness before they can fully become the person they were meant to be.
A Compliment Can Become a Blessing
How many children discovered their talents because a teacher said, “I believe in you”?
How many adults found courage because someone told them, “You have more strength than you realize”?
How many marriages have been strengthened because one spouse finally expressed appreciation for the other?
Imagine a struggling student who constantly hears about his failures. Then one teacher notices his kindness and says, “You have a remarkable heart. You make people feel important.”
Those words may not improve his mathematics grade tomorrow, but they may change how he sees himself forever.
The teacher didn’t invent a quality. The teacher recognized something already there and helped it grow.
This is the Rebbe’s extraordinary insight: We usually compliment people because they’ve accomplished something. But sometimes people accomplish something because they were complimented!
Of course, flattery and encouragement are different.
Flattery exaggerates. Encouragement reveals.
Flattery tells people what they want to hear. Encouragement helps them discover what they are capable of becoming.
The Gift That Costs Nothing
Think of the people around us: the employee who rarely receives recognition, the elderly person wondering whether anyone still needs them, the teenager feeling invisible, or the spouse whose daily sacrifices are taken for granted.
Imagine if every parent recognized one genuine strength in their child each day. If every teacher looked beyond grades. If every husband and wife expressed appreciation as readily as criticism.
How many lives might change?
And the cost? Absolutely nothing!
In a world where everything requires a subscription, password, and automatic monthly renewal, here’s one extraordinary gift that’s completely free.
A sincere compliment.
No credit card required. No expiration date. And the benefits may last a lifetime.
You May Be Holding Someone’s Future in Your Hands
The lesson of Noah is not simply that we should be nicer to people. It’s that our words carry extraordinary power.
We don’t have to wait until someone becomes extraordinary before recognizing their worth.
Sometimes recognizing their worth is precisely what helps them become extraordinary.
So here’s my challenge: Today, find someone who isn’t expecting a compliment. Not a celebrity or an accomplished leader. Just an ordinary person.
Notice something genuinely good about them. And tell them.
You may forget the conversation tomorrow. They may remember it for the rest of their lives.
Perhaps the next great teacher, leader, or community builder is standing right in front of us, waiting for someone to recognize the greatness within.
Never underestimate the power of a good word. You may think you’re simply giving someone a compliment. In reality, you may be giving them a future.
And who knows? The person you encourage today may someday inspire thousands.
Now that’s what I call an extraordinary return on a very small investment.
