September 22nd, 2009
In praise of praise
How many people, faced with a pile of tasks, become overwhelmed and almost paralysed, unable even to work out where to start?
Is it because they can see no joy in doing the work, get no encouragement and no praise when a task is completed?
It isn’t hard to encourage someone. It is really quite easy to congratulate them. So why don’t we do it more often?
It is a shame that we don’t all have an internal cheerleader to encourage and congratulate us; more often than not, it is killed in infancy by adults who don’t want us getting ‘too big for our boots’.
How often have you seen an excited kiddie, thrilled with something they have achieved, sent away disappointed (or even ashamed) by an adult who complains about them ‘blowing their own trumpet’? How much would it actually have hurt the adult to say in an excited and enthusiastic tone, “Did you really? All by yourself? Well done!” Would that child have gone on to have a monumental ego? I think not.
However, by depriving people of praise when they have worked hard they are more likely to go on to have mental health problems.
It feels good to be praised. Funnily enough, it also feels good to praise.
I’d like to increase the sum total of human happiness and praise someone for a job well done, or effort expended, as often as the opportunity arises.
