3 min learnNew DelhiFeb 22, 2026 12:00 AM IST
The world can bathe compliments at her ft, however the reward that comes from her daughter stays in Rani Mukerji’s coronary heart for days to come back. Throughout a latest dialog, the Mardaani 3 actor opened up about feeling shy when receiving compliments from children.
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“My daughter tells me, ‘Mumma, you’re looking like a younger lady’. And I’m like, ‘Actually? Thanks’,” Rani Mukerji advised Simply Too Filmy, additional including, “Her buddies have additionally slowly began seeing my work, so after they praise me, or when their moms ship me movies of them getting excited seeing me on display screen — I get full crimson and begin blushing. As a result of I’m Adira’s mumma to them. I at all times take into account myself Adira’s mother.”
Why do some folks really feel uncomfortable receiving compliments?
Deepti Chandy, Therapist & COO at Anna Chandy & Associates, defined that each cultural and psychological elements are at play. In lots of cultures, humility is taken into account a advantage. “We are sometimes made to imagine that brazenly accepting compliments might make us seem smug, proud, or self-important. Because of this, deflecting reward can really feel extra socially acceptable than receiving it,” she stated.
On a psychological degree, discomfort with compliments is commonly linked to 1’s inner self-image. Chandy stated that if an individual struggles with emotions of inadequacy or has a extremely self-critical internal dialogue, they have a tendency to focus extra on their perceived flaws than their strengths. “When somebody presents a praise that contradicts this inner narrative, it creates a way of dissonance,” she shared, including that the reward doesn’t align with how they see themselves, and this mismatch makes it tough to internalise or imagine the appreciation being expressed.
How will you overcome this response?
In keeping with Chandy, step one is creating consciousness of the discomfort itself. Usually, after we obtain a compliment, we expertise a delicate bodily response – maybe a tightening, awkwardness, or a direct urge to dismiss it. “Studying to pause and tolerate that discomfort, as a substitute of robotically deflecting the praise, is a crucial apply,” stated the skilled. Merely saying “thanks” is usually a highly effective first step, even when it feels unfamiliar.
And if the discomfort is rooted in a deeply crucial or unfavorable self-image, she advised that it could be useful to discover this additional – typically with the assist of a therapist. “Working by problems with inadequacy and self-worth can steadily enable an individual to obtain appreciation extra comfortably and authentically,” she stated.
In the end, accepting a praise is just not about turning into self-important. It’s about creating a extra balanced, compassionate relationship with oneself.
