In celebration of World Kindness Day (Monday 13th November), ScS launched the the world’s first complimentary sofa in Kings Cross station – a temporary installation that shared words of encouragement and compliments with rush hour commuters.
A recent study by ScS reflects the complimentary habits of those in the UK – the study revealed that one in 10 have never been on the receiving end of a compliment, whilst another one in 10 equally have never given a compliment to someone else.
Sheffield is home to those most reluctant to give a compliment, with 18% claiming to have never given a compliment to another person, whilst one in five (20%) of those in Norwich claim to have never been on the receiving end of a compliment -making it the home to the least complimented people in the UK.
When asked where was home to the most kind and complimentary people in the UK, 10% of people claimed London held this title, which may come as a surprise to those who subscribe to the theory that "it’s much friendlier up north," says ScS.
The study also revealed that Geordies are both the most complimented and complimentary, as only 3% have never given a compliment and only 5% have never received a compliment - both the lowest in the UK.
ScS enlisted Dr Ritika Suk Birah, HCPC-accredited consultant counselling psychologist, to describe what goes on in people's brains when they receive a compliment: “When we smile and compliment each other it can have several beneficial effects on our self-esteem and overall wellbeing. Compliments serve as external validation reaffirming our sense of self-worth and competence.
“Compliments have transformative power in creating happiness, improving our overall sense of wellbeing which can lead to a more positive and emotionally fulfilling social environment.”
This corroborates the study's findings that show the most common emotions associated with well intentioned compliments are happiness (43%), confidence (22%) and pride (21%), although (in true British fashion) 20% feel awkward, 17% embarrassed and 5% of Brits panicked in the face of a compliment.
Phil Geary, chief marketing and digital officer at ScS, says: “As sofas are one of the key sources of relaxation and comfort in our homes, especially in the darker winter months, we wanted to bring those positive feelings to life in a public space and spread some joy and happiness on World Kindness Day."
