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what do you think?

Is it wrong for a man to tell a woman she's pretty in the workplace nowadays?

I work with alot of pretty polish girls and can't help myself in complementing them:p

opinions pls?
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Comments

  • balletshoes
    balletshoes Posts: 16,610 Forumite
    I think its absolutely fine, as long as you're not making them feel uncomfortable :).
  • ailuro2
    ailuro2 Posts: 7,540 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    It depends on the context - if it's a woman saying to another woman that she really likes the other woman's outfit - where did she buy it from etc then that's OK, but if it's a "compliment" like 'I think you're looking particularly pretty today, dear' coming from someone you don't know that well, then it could be construed as downright creepy!

    In the workplace you have to be careful how the person on the receiving end of the compliment is - I don't see why you'd comment on someone's personal appearance anyway, and surely their country of origin has nothing to do with how they look anyway?

    I'd keep the cheesy comments at bay, if I were you.;)
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  • jackomdj
    jackomdj Posts: 3,073 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    It would depend upon the woman, how well you know her and how she feels about it. Probably best keeping it to yourself.

    Although a married colleague did a double sniff at me the other day & said you smell really nice. Then said if he was not married, I was not married, if he fancied me & I fancied him.... I cut him off saying he could always just buy it for his wife! Having said that, his wife works here too, she is a good friend and we will laugh over a coffee next time I see her!
  • lukemed1
    lukemed1 Posts: 511 Forumite
    ailuro2 wrote: »
    It depends on the context - if it's a woman saying to another woman that she really likes the other woman's outfit - where did she buy it from etc then that's OK, but if it's a "compliment" like 'I think you're looking particularly pretty today, dear' coming from someone you don't know that well, then it could be construed as downright creepy!

    In the workplace you have to be careful how the person on the receiving end of the compliment is - I don't see why you'd comment on someone's personal appearance anyway, and surely their country of origin has nothing to do with how they look anyway?

    I'd keep the cheesy comments at bay, if I were you.;)

    I dont know about that, the Polish women are ALL gorgeous!!!!!, blonde hair/blue eyes:p
  • rachbc
    rachbc Posts: 4,461 Forumite
    I'd been creeped out if any guy other than my husband, in work or not, told me I look pretty. Compliments of an article of clothing or something are just about acceptable but other than that no way. And even if the person on the receiving end doesn't mind it makes you look fairly unprofessional to anyone else you work with!
    People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • pigpen
    pigpen Posts: 41,152 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    If someone says I look nice 'today' it always makes me feel like I look a scruff all the rest of the time!
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  • I don't understand or appreciate compliments on how I look. How I look is just an accident of genetics and therefore no result of my own efforts and therefore I don't see why I should feel good if someone compliments me. If however someone praises something I've done then I'm very pleased because it's recognising my effort, or character, or some choice that I've made - ie, it's seeing me as a person.

    It's okay if someone mentions my clothes, after all that's a choice, or my hair cut/colour. But my face? Why would you compliment that? It's a horrible thing to do, I didn't choose this face. If I looked different and you didn't compliment me, does that mean only pretty people are worth making feel good?

    I admit I have a strange take on this, but I never read women's glossy magazines or watch tv as I find it kind of disturbing.
  • lukemed1
    lukemed1 Posts: 511 Forumite
    tbh, i think they like getting complimented, I'm in my early 30's and they are of 25-30 age range
  • Having said all that, above, I am a lot better at taking compliments than I used to be - I understand why people do it, it's seen as polite - but it makes me uncomfortable, all the same. If you have a choice, compliment someone's choices, I think it's a better self esteem booster.

    Anyway looks will fade, why be reminded of something transient?

    Yeah I am smiling as I type this, I know most people will think I'm up my own bottom!!!
  • balletshoes
    balletshoes Posts: 16,610 Forumite
    lukemed1 wrote: »
    I dont know about that, the Polish women are ALL gorgeous!!!!!, blonde hair/blue eyes:p

    okay, with that comment I am slightly creeped out - if you're going around telling all the Polish blondes at work that they look gorgeous, thats neither sincere nor a real compliment to be honest.

    I work with men and women, none of us have ever said anything to each other which would suggest we fancy someone else in the workplace, but I feel comfortable enough with all of them, men or women, to comment that they look very smart/colour suits them etc, but only a particular day when I think they do look smart/colour suits them.
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