---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She'd tell me how she'd handle the…"
description: "\"She'd tell me how she'd handle the backhanded compliment by smiling and pretending she was receiving a genuine compliment all the while ignoring their ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdb/portia-de-rossi-7193_backhanded-complimen_she-d-tell-me-how-she-d-handle-the-backh_2645165.png"
---

#  She'd tell me how she'd handle the backhanded compliment…

![“She'd tell me how she'd handle the backhanded compliment by smiling and pretending she was receiving a genuine compliment all the while ignoring their attempt to be insulting. After all, it's the way an insult is received that makes it an insult. You can't really give offense unless someone takes…” quote by Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdb/portia-de-rossi-7193_backhanded-complimen_she-d-tell-me-how-she-d-handle-the-backh_2645165.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdb/portia-de-rossi-7193_backhanded-complimen_she-d-tell-me-how-she-d-handle-the-backh_2645165.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdb/portia-de-rossi-7193_backhanded-complimen_she-d-tell-me-how-she-d-handle-the-backh_2645165.png)

> “She'd tell me how she'd handle the backhanded compliment by smiling and pretending she was receiving a genuine compliment all the while ignoring their attempt to be insulting. After all, it's the way an insult is received that makes it an insult. You can't really give offense unless someone takes it.”

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Handling insults with grace transforms them into harmless remarks.

**In simple terms:** Smile to defuse negativity.

Key Takeaway

Respond with calm confidence.

Themes

self‑esteem communication resilience

Mood

confident composed

Type

practical psychological

When to use this quote

- workplace feedback
- social media comments
- personal conflicts

Key Concepts

psychology social dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- When have you turned an insult around?
- What inner strength helps you stay calm?

A Different Perspective

Some may view it as passive acceptance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/)

## Related quotes

> [I find it to be the ultimate backhanded compliment when you are compared against yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/i-find-it-to-be-the-ultimate-backhanded-compliment-when-you-are/)

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> [Dark Fantasy" was my long, backhanded apology. You know how people give a backhanded compliment? It was a backhanded apology. It was like, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/dark-fantasy-was-my-long-backhanded-apology-you-know-how-people-give/)

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> [My whole life story is kind of a backhanded compliment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-spelling/my-whole-life-story-is-kind-of-a-backhanded-compliment/)

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> [“NR, Master of the backhanded compliment/putdown strikes again!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-j-nicholls/nr-master-of-the-backhanded-compliment-putdown-strikes-again/)

M.J. Nicholls

> [“I don’t think I’ve ever been called beautiful by a boy in my life. It’s definitely not an English-guy thing; in London, we pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-henderson/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-been-called-beautiful-by-a-boy-in-my-life-it/)

[Lauren Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-henderson/)

> [“I'm so proud of you!'' I gushed, a statement I've only recently come to realize can be a backhanded compliment, insinuating that the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cooper/i-m-so-proud-of-you-i-gushed-a-statement-i-ve-only-recently-come-to/)

[Bernard Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cooper/)

> [Could you imagine me and the roasters taking on the GOP field? It would be the greatest show ever. Prove that you can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-ross/could-you-imagine-me-and-the-roasters-taking-on-the-gop-field-it/)

[Jeff Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-ross/)

> [As far as most improved, I don't take it as a backhanded compliment at all. That's what you're supposed to do as a professional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-randle/as-far-as-most-improved-i-don-t-take-it-as-a-backhanded-compliment-at/)

[Julius Randle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-randle/)

> [When I was heavy, people would say to me - and it was such a backhanded compliment - they would say, 'You've got such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/when-i-was-heavy-people-would-say-to-me-and-it-was-such-a-backhanded/)

[Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/)

> [“Even if you are a pompous ass with no respect for authority, you're worth fifty men, and I mean to see you in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mcclellan/even-if-you-are-a-pompous-ass-with-no-respect-for-authority-you-re/)

[Brian McClellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mcclellan/)

> [“Having no applicable skills, in any possible area whatsoever, effectively makes me the master of redundancy. But that info is obsolete, like my insults…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-advise/having-no-applicable-skills-in-any-possible-area-whatsoever/)

Will Advise

> [The big story today, Barack Obama was accused of insulting Sarah Palin when he criticized Republican policies by saying, you can put lipstick on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/the-big-story-today-barack-obama-was-accused-of-insulting-sarah-palin/)

[Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/)

> [I think the most insulting thing you can do to a director is to challenge when he or she is satisfied with your interpretation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-think-the-most-insulting-thing-you-can-do-to-a-director-is-to/)

[Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/)

## More by Portia de Rossi

> [In high school I had sex with girls quite a few times. They were straight women who I convinced to jump in the sack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/in-high-school-i-had-sex-with-girls-quite-a-few-times-they-were/)

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[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [You don't have to be emaciated or vomiting to be suffering. All people who live their lives on a diet are suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/you-don-t-have-to-be-emaciated-or-vomiting-to-be-suffering-all-people/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [I began to see myself as someone who can help others understand diversity rather than feeling like a social outcast. Ellen taught me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-began-to-see-myself-as-someone-who-can-help-others-understand/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [The most important thing for me was to never, ever, ever deny it. But I didn't really have the courage to talk about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/the-most-important-thing-for-me-was-to-never-ever-ever-deny-it-but-i/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [I would eat 300 calories a day - a lot of Jell-O and no-sugar everything, of course. I was doing Pilates, weight-training, circuit training;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-would-eat-300-calories-a-day-a-lot-of-jell-o-and-no-sugar/)

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[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [I stumbled into acting and just loved it. I deferred law school-and I'm still deferred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-stumbled-into-acting-and-just-loved-it-i-deferred-law-school-and-i/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

[Explore all 93 Portia de Rossi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

## More Backhanded compliments quotes

> [I will tell you that when I was heavy, people would say to me - and it was such a backhanded compliment - they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-will-tell-you-that-when-i-was-heavy-people-would-say-to-me-and-it/)

[Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/)

> [My whole life story is kind of a backhanded compliment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-spelling/my-whole-life-story-is-kind-of-a-backhanded-compliment/)

[Tori Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-spelling/)

> [Don't give me backhanded compliments. I can see right through them. Don't make empty promises that you know you won't keep. I've let this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-give-me-backhanded-compliments-i-can-see-right-through-them-don/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Dark Fantasy" was my long, backhanded apology. You know how people give a backhanded compliment? It was a backhanded apology. It was like, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/dark-fantasy-was-my-long-backhanded-apology-you-know-how-people-give/)

[Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/)

> [I find it to be the ultimate backhanded compliment when you are compared against yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/i-find-it-to-be-the-ultimate-backhanded-compliment-when-you-are/)

[Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/)

Browse all 6 Backhanded compliments quotes

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