Insults are not designed to elicit gratitude. However, replying to an insult with a compliment is often the best response. I’ll explain why I think that way.
The normal responses to insults include but are not limited to
Getting angry.
Insult them back.
Throw a tantrum.
Cry.
Accept the insult as the truth.
Plotting revenge.
Ignore the insult.
Inform Hr in a professional environment or the teacher in a school environment.
None of those responses has a positive outcome. It just intensifies the situation between the people involved.
Ignoring an insult is probably the best of the normal replies because it sends a message to the person insulting you that they’re not worth the effort to reply to them. This can have two possible results, they will intensify their efforts to insult/harm you, or they will leave you alone. Who knows what they’ll do?
Replying to an insult with gratitude.
The reason I believe replying to an insult with gratitude is that you’re always claiming the higher ground for yourself, and with the higher ground comes self-respect and self-confidence.
They are the two qualities that will be lacking in the person who insults other people.
For example; if somebody called you useless? And you reply with, “You’re too kind,” “thank you,” or “you’ve beautiful eyes.” It defuses the situation. There’s no comeback. If they do reply with, “I called you useless.” Your reply can only be, Are you looking for another compliment?” To which you will not hear their reply as they will be on their way to find an easier target.
The thing to remember about replying with a compliment is that the compliment has to be real. Before you say, “There’s nothing good about some people,” remember, you’re beautiful, and there’s always something good in everybody. You just have to look a bit deeper with some people.
It also helps to remember that people who insult other people are generally very unhappy with themselves, and they’re not prepared to change themselves, so they try to make other people unhappy too.
I’ll leave you with one final thought.
The person who understands and accepts themselves for who they are can’t be insulted by another person’s words.
