Are compliments always lies?

I sometimes wonder what is going through people’s heads. I see one person give a compliment, then the person being compliment thanks them, then the person who gave the compliment says something like “I was just telling the truth.”

Think about that. Could this point to a belief that a compliment is empty flattery? Put more bluntly, do many of us believe that compliments or positive statements are lies? Perhaps it is an attempt at humility. Isn’t it an insult to the person who is recognizing something positive?

Next time I get a compliment, I think I’ll try something different. “Thank you.”