Would You Rather Be Praised or Paid? a debate run by rms

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 32 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Think About It

 

Compliment vs. Money


This question may be harder to answer than it seems.


A segment on the television program Good Morning America this morning prompted me to ask this question. Would you rather receive a compliment for a job well done, or a few dollars? Keep in mind we aren't talking about a million bucks here; maybe $5.00 or $10.00.

Which makes you feel better? Would you rather be praised or paid? Would you rather hear that you looked nice, or be bought a nice lunch?

Would it depend on your mood? If you were feeling down, do you think a pat on the back would make you feel better than enough cash for a cup of coffee?

After considering this for a while I thought I decided that a compliment is nice but money might be more useful

After thinking on it a bit longer I realized that I do love it when I receive a nice compliment, especially on my Squidoo lenses.


I'll give you my final conclusion at the end of this lens. But first . . .

Tell Me What You Think? 

I'm interested in knowing what everyone else thinks about this. Please share your thoughts here.

Which do you prefer, a compliment or a little money? And Why?

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Flattery Will Get You Everywhere.

Well_I_will_be_MOGADORED says:

I would like a little money, but flattery really makes your day, and if the flatterER hires you again, you have more chances!!!:)

Kristina Laumer says:

praise works for me if it is REAl, praise when you have done a average or below average job is counter productive for me, it make me doubt the person and then everything they say to me after than, and it makes me feel there is no point in trying to improve or work any harder

collegephysics12 says:

I need compliment rather then money, because compliment is mean a lot to me than money. If my quality work is giving me some better compliment & that turn towards through my own a then I can except.

skywind says:

if it's a little money, than compliment is my choice

thakidinme says:

Recognition for your efforts is 'priceless'. Money is short term, positive feedback can touch, sometimes change, someone's life forever.

ElizabethJeanAllen says:

It depends on what its for. If I offered, a thanks is enough. If its something I didn't want to do, a card or some show of thanks beyond words is nice.

Pantherart says:

Compliments can sometimes make you perform better then money can.
Yes I say a good compliment is better then money, it can make you feel better and when you feel better you do better in any area of life. And then the money will come.

MarcEdwards says:

I'll take the compliment. I don't need a money handout. Besides... compliments are uplifting and depending on the type of day you're having, a compliment will only make it better.

Miksas says:

A cheesy compliment is seen as flattery. Why not speak the language that EVERYONE never misunderstands: in Jacksons and Benjamins ;) Give 'em to me!

Anyway, as the saying(or cliche')goes "The best things in life are free". Hey, wait, that would be a great lens!

Spook says:

In my experience I've never had either.However having said that at times I've employed up to 200 people and have always felt complimenting a member of my staff on a job well done,however trivial goes a long way to improving overall staff morale.They are getting paid to do the job in the first place,but if I'm really pleased with them and their consistency then I will increase there salary.Everybody needs a leg up.I'll go for a compliment

Show Me the Money!

thekidsrule says:

The payment is the praise. If someone pays you, then they think you or what you offer is worth the money.

ivylorraine says:

i will chose both...i want to be complimented and make money at the same time....in this kind of life today many people would chose money over compliment....then why not have both...

AdamTaha says:

Both but if it's a decision for one then..PAID.

chilipoker says:

Praise is good but I would rather be paid.

GaryHarvey says:

Praise is good. It's affirming and empowering. But they dont yet accept compliments at the checkout desk of the trading establishments I visit, so give me money - thanks!

DeborahWolfe says:

Pay IS praise.

JigsawForte says:

Compliments help, but a kind word is an end in and of itself; Money, on the other hand, is an incentive to try and earn more.

When it comes to my websites, I need both, but money is much more proof of a good job done than a hollow word.

thrivingmom says:

I have 2 in diapers and quit my job to stay at home. So, I'll take the money!

InspiredWritingResearch says:

Paid,paid,paid please. (I have kids! And some of them are teens, say no more!) Forget the kudos and just give us the pay for the ever-tightening household budget!

Margaret_Schaut says:

I like both, and I attempt to contribute as much as possible of what I have in free time and assistance. Sooner or later, though, the mortgage comes due, the cupboard is bare, and at that point compliments make little difference- especially when it becomes overly stressful. A balance of both keeps them both appreciated as they should be. Otherwise, one can feel used, which is NEVER a good feeling and compliments don't help, at that point.

 
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The Study That Prompted the Conversation 

Praise as good as cash to brain - study
By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO, April 23 (Reuters) - Paying people a compliment appears to activate the same reward center in the brain as paying them cash, Japanese researchers said on Wednesday.

They said the study offers scientific support for the long-held assumption that people get a psychological boost from having a good reputation.

"We found that these seemingly different kinds of rewards -- a good reputation versus money -- are biologically coded by the same neural structure, the striatum," said Dr. Norihiro Sadato of the Japanese National Institute for Physiological Sciences in Okazaki, Japan.

"This provides the biological basis of our everyday experience that personal reputation is felt as rewards," Sadato said in an e-mail.

Sadato's team studied 19 healthy people using a brain imaging technique known as functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI.
Read the Rest of this Article

Do you Agree with the Study's Findings? 

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Forget Money, Load On the Praise 

This digital document is an article from Bank Marketing, published by Bank Marketing Assn. on November 1, 2002. The length of the article is 644 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Forget money. Load on the praise! (Rewarding Employees).: An article from: Bank Marketing

Amazon Price: $5.95 (as of 07/26/2008)

Title: Forget money. Load on the praise! (Rewarding Employees).
Author: Bob Nelson
Publication: Bank Marketing (Magazine/Journal)

Give Me a Big Pat on the Back

Compliments are Best 

Add a link that proves why compliments are best.

compliment - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Definition of compliment from the Merriam-Webster more...0 points

Compliment Day

Compliments are a simple, yet powerful, relationsh more...0 points

Surrealism Server: Surrealist Compliments For All

Surrealism Server: The Surrealist Compliment Gener more...0 points

How to Take a Compliment - Lifehack.org

Sep 24, 2007 ... A surprisingly large number of pe more...0 points

How To Give A Good Compliment - Life Coaches

Feb 13, 2007 ... There%u2019s nothing like a warm, more...0 points

ComplimentBot 4000 | Refresh for more love

ComplimentBot 4000 is a random compliment generato more...0 points

Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners: Compliments, Charades & Horrible Blunders 

by Josephine Ross

Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (October 3, 2006)
Language: English

Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners: Compliments, Charades & Horrible Blunders

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/26/2008)

Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners is a light-hearted, insightful handbook written as if intended for her original Regency Era readers, and illustrated throughout with beautiful watercolors. When Anna, Jane Austen's young niece, sent her a novel for "literary comment," Jane loved everything about it, except its utter disregard for the manners of the day. The resulting and tender correspondence between the two serves as the foundation for this instructional book.
Etiquette and social behavior of the early 1800s come to life in lovely chapters teaching one on how to pay and return formal "calls," how to properly refuse a proposal of marriage, who should lead off the dancing at a country-house ball, and what to wear for a morning walk. Jane Austen used these daily customs and niceties to brilliantly illuminate the cloistered world of high society women in her timeless novels. Now with this delightful handbook of correct social behavior, readers will learn just why Mrs. Bennet of Pride and Prejudice couldn't call alone on her new, rich, bachelor neighbor and had to force the reluctant Mr. Bennet to do so%u2026even as he uttered "Tis an etiquette I despise."
An indispensable gift for any Austen fan, this beautiful book will prove irresistible to anyone wishing to go back in time to the atmosphere of their favorite Austen novels.

Give me the Money!

Money is Best 

Post links that point out why you think money is best.

Personal finance advice, ideas - Money Magazine on CNNMoney

Personal Finance and retirement advice, tips, and more...0 points

Money News: Financial, economy, stock market & real estate stories ...

News about financial markets, US economy, business more...0 points

Money.org | Home

Dedicated to the collection and study of coins, pa more...0 points

Money - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Money is any token or other object that functions more...0 points

About.com Business & Finance

Learn how to manage your money, make smart investm more...0 points

You're So Money 

by Farnoosh Torabi

Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Three Rivers Press (April 15, 2008)
Language: English

You're So Money: Live Rich, Even When You're Not

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/26/2008)

Your Good Life Starts Now

Live beyond your means but spend within them.
Take your steady out for that $350 dinner after the big promotion. You might just have to eat PB&J for a week to make it happen.

Splurge when it makes sense.
Buy the designer jeans you can't live without in your size, at full price. But you better walk away from last season's must-have sweater, even if it is 75 percent off!

Make more money with your money.
Invest in stocks to make the big bucks and start saving for retirement now.
You want to be debt-free in your swinging sixties.

Have it all . . . just not all at once.
Want a Mercedes more than anything in the world? You can make it happen . ..but probably not while sharing a summer beach house with your friends.

Finally a savvy, realistic finance book for those of us who love our Starbucks mocha lattes and Razr cell phones but don't want our Jimmy Choo shoes or Bose headphones buried under a pile of burgeoning debt. Twenty-something financial reporter Farnoosh Torabi tells you that you can satisfy your sophisticated tastes and achieve financial bliss.

The key: prioritizing your expenses according to what you want the most-splurging when you can and saving on other things. From sensible grocery shopping (yes, you can have your organic yogurt and eat it, too!) to cyberbanking, empower yourself to live a guilt-free, Gucci- and gadget-clad good life without sacrificing financial security.

Have You Ever . . . 

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Did Anyone Ever. . . 

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Which Did You . . . 

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On the Other Hand 

What if it were a large sum of money? Say $50.00 or $100.00?

Would you still feel the same?

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Nothing anyone could say to me would be worth more than a hundred bucks. I'll take the money!

AdamTaha says:

Like I said, money pays the bills, runs the gas and so on. I like both thanks. Sometimes praise is good but action speaks louder e.g money.

ElizabethJeanAllen says:

If they were asking for my professional expertize, money matters. I don't like being taken advantage of.

mrsjordanjr says:

Oh yeah, money.

ernestine says:

I get compliments all the time, on my artwork, kindness, parenting, intelligence, style sense, and even appearance. But talk is cheap. . . nothing else is these days. Not meaning to be a cynic, but, a smile and a "job well done," just doesn't fit in the gas tank! It doesn't mean ,though, that I will stop giving out compliments and encouragement as well as graciously accept them. The currency of good will still goes a long way.

Grasshoppa says:

Yup. More is even better.

LeslieBrenner says:

Compliments are very nice and always welcome. But money will pay the bills.

famousmortimer says:

If it were a large sum of money, I would take it in a heartbeat. It would make my life easier, much moreso than a compliment. So yeah, that does change my answer.

spirituality says:

I'll take the cash, thank you! But I'm sure it's relative - Oprah would probably rather have the money.

chefkeem says:

Currently, the cash value of compliments runs between $3.95 and $8.60...

jeffwend says:

It might depend on who the words are coming from, but nine times out of ten, that cash bonus does a good job of complementing you.

A really nice compliment is worth more than any amount of money!

alicia666 says:

I probably go for both. Money & Praise. If we have money and no complements from anybody. It's of waste. Sameway, if getting praised and no money is earned, then what's the use? There will not be any status for life. According to me both are needed.

skywind says:

Depends. If compliments can give you credits.

thakidinme says:

as in yes, i would feel the same. i try not to be materialistic or shallow. Life should be deeper and more meaningful than that. If you are speaking in terms of a tip, that is considered wages for services rendered, that's different.

thakidinme says:

yes!

gabi_kiana says:

fefe says:

As long as it was a REALLY nice compliment.... but if we started getting into the millions I might have to switch sides and be a sell out. :)

 
 
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Does Money Make You Smile?

Something Else to Consider 

How about when it comes to your job? Would you rather be promoted in name only or is money the only way to your heart at work?

Would you rather receive a great title or a raise?

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Give me the title. It makes me feel important!

I'll take the money over a title anytime!

skywind says:

Of course..

thakidinme says:

raise. what is a title? they should go hand-in-hand.

ElizabethJeanAllen says:

I've got a title and wear too many hats alreadt. Give me the money.

mrsjordanjr says:

Raise.

daria369 says:

I don't care for labels...

Susan52 says:

That's an easy one. Show me the money!

Grasshoppa says:

ESPECIALLY at work. I go there to earn a living, and if I can't earn enough of one to pay the bills, it's time to move on. Even if the boss gives me a shiny new title.

LeslieBrenner says:

A better title without a raise sounds like exploitation.

Jimmie says:

Titles are a dime a dozen. The raise shows that your role is important despite the title.

mulberry says:

Money over title. I've had lots of great titles, heaps of praise, but in the end if it didn't result in money then I assume my employers were just being deceptive. My life isn't really about money, but when you work for someone that is the purpose. I no longer need others to make me feel good about myself. (I need others of course, but I simply know when I've done a good job) Things are different of course in non-employment situations.