Why thanks

Every compliment received requires a quick assessment of the giver's personality (in situations where you can't just kiss them). Reciprocating in kind can backfire badly unless you practically have one stored up and waiting, ready to release. Humble denial of the virtue being complimented can seem coy or insincere, even if the denial is true. But denial is such an automatic reaction for some of us, and so widely misused by others, that simple acceptance can sometimes be tinged with a smugness it does not always deserve when the expected denial isn't heard.

And of course if you are a bit perverse, you keep all of this in mind, tailoring your compliments to throw your hapless target off-balance as much as you possibly can. And even so, you will find yourself occasionally disarmed, and wonder if the giver is simply better at the game than you, or perhaps a better sort of person altogether.