Compliments hit the brain a lot harder than you might think. On World Compliment Day, learn the neuroscience about them and hear from worldwide recognition expert: Sarah McVanel.

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One of my favorite uncles always used to say, “Be nice,” because if you’re nice, you can solve almost anything. Picture this: you’re at the Air Canada counter, your flight just got cancelled, and everyone around you is yelling at the agent. When it’s finally your turn, if you’re calm and kind, you might just end up with a better seat than everyone else—or even rebooked on a nicer flight. Being nice often pays off, and there’s real neuroscience behind it.

Being nice isn’t just being polite. It’s neuroscience. When you give someone a compliment, it sends feel-good chemicals to their brain. But here’s the important part: the type of compliment matters. A quick “Oh, good job” as you walk away, or a short two-word message that doesn’t feel genuine, will trigger a small burst of dopamine. Yes, it feels good—but only briefly. Dopamine doesn’t last very long. Soon after, the brain may start questioning it: Was that really sincere? Was there an agenda behind it?

Now let’s talk about what a truly powerful compliment looks like.

A genuine compliment happens when you stop, pause, connect, and really see the person in front of you. You look them in the eyes and say something like, “You know what? I saw what you did. I witnessed how you showed up, and that was amazing. Truly fantastic.” That kind of recognition doesn’t just make someone feel good—it makes them feel safe. It builds trust. And trust is absolutely essential, whether you’re part of a team, a parent, or interacting with people at work.

When a compliment is genuine, it triggers oxytocin—the trust and connection hormone. Oxytocin lasts much longer than dopamine, often at least an hour, and it creates a lasting emotional memory in the limbic brain. This isn’t about a fleeting feel-good moment. It’s about creating a deep, meaningful impact that lasts.

That’s why I wanted to talk with Sarah McVanel, the queen of recognition worldwide and the creator of The ThankFULL Movement.

Sarah shared a powerful story from the movement’s work. Canadian healthcare providers were asked to write down the best compliment they had ever received. Those compliments were written on cards and brought to Europe, where healthcare providers were invited to choose the one that resonated most with them. The question behind this experiment was simple but profound: could people in another country feel truly seen by peers they had never met?

The response was overwhelming. People were shocked, surprised, and deeply moved that someone on the other side of the ocean had taken the time to recognize them. Many didn’t realize just how much they needed that compliment until they received it. When recognition is unexpected, meaningful, and comes from someone who matters—or even a peer you don’t know—it becomes unforgettable.

Sarah explained that this is what our brain does when it receives genuine recognition. We remember it. We hold onto it. Whether it’s a random person from another country or a spontaneous moment of appreciation closer to home, those compliments stay with us.

The ThankFULL Movement also creates “compliment cascades.” One beautiful example is when Duff, my amazing husband, passed along a compliment he had received and chose to give it to me instead. That ripple effect—recognition being passed from one person to another—makes it even more powerful. It doesn’t need to be planned. It just needs to be real, meaningful, and sincere.

And when it comes from someone close to you, especially when it comes out of left field, it gives your brain, your heart, and your soul exactly what it needed—even if you didn’t know you needed it.

If you want to explore The ThankFULL Movement or be part of it, you can find it through Sarah’s work at Greatness Magnified and on Instagram at @thankfullmovement—spelled with two Ls, because it’s full of thanks.

So today, let’s remember this: don’t throw compliments around like confetti.

Slow down.
Make them specific.
Make them human.
Make them connected.

Every sincere compliment you give sparks dopamine, builds oxytocin, strengthens trust, and wires the brain for connection. That’s not just being nice.

That’s being neurologically brilliant.

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