--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everybody knows how to utter a complaint…" description: "\"Everybody knows how to utter a complaint, but few can express a graceful compliment.\" — William Feather" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/william-feather-2664_complaints_everybody-knows-how-to-utter-a-complaint_3067147.png" --- # Everybody knows how to utter a complaint, but few can… ![“Everybody knows how to utter a complaint, but few can express a graceful compliment.” quote by William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/william-feather-2664_complaints_everybody-knows-how-to-utter-a-complaint_3067147.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/william-feather-2664_complaints_everybody-knows-how-to-utter-a-complaint_3067147.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/william-feather-2664_complaints_everybody-knows-how-to-utter-a-complaint_3067147.png) > “Everybody knows how to utter a complaint, but few can express a graceful compliment.” [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Complaints are easy; genuine compliments require thought, humility, and sincerity. **In simple terms:** Giving sincere compliments is hard. Key Takeaway Practice thoughtful praise. Themes communication humility gratitude Mood thoughtful encouraging Type advice observational When to use this quote - team meetings - customer service - family gatherings - public speaking Key Concepts Social intelligence empathy psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you make compliments authentic? - When is praise appropriate? A Different Perspective Compliments may be perceived as insincere. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Complaints](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complaints/) [Compliment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compliment/) [Everybody Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everybody-knows/) [Express Graceful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/express-graceful-5172250/) [Graceful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graceful/) [Graceful Compliment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graceful-compliment-5172249/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Know how](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-how/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [It takes the same energy to complain as it does to compliment. When there is a short circuit, there is a complaint, and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/it-takes-the-same-energy-to-complain-as-it-does-to-compliment-when/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Complaints bring misery; compliments brings strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/complaints-bring-misery-compliments-brings-strength/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [As long as you don't compliment yourself, your environments and your job, you will always be miserable. Complaints bring misery, compliments brings strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/as-long-as-you-don-t-compliment-yourself-your-environments-and-your/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Next to a sincere compliment, I think I like a well-deserved and honest rebuke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/next-to-a-sincere-compliment-i-think-i-like-a-well-deserved-and/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [I'm not graceful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-graceful/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If we have a situation where a man is particularly graceful in a sport that rewards grace - say, for example, figure skating -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/if-we-have-a-situation-where-a-man-is-particularly-graceful-in-a/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [Pop songs are not as graceful as they used to be. Performers today haven't gone through the regimen of learning how to write. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-david/pop-songs-are-not-as-graceful-as-they-used-to-be-performers-today/) [Hal David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-david/) > [Skating can make you feel athletic, graceful, beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-gold/skating-can-make-you-feel-athletic-graceful-beautiful/) [Gracie Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-gold/) > [“Pursued by grace and supernatural power from God, I will passionately pursued my most cherished dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/pursued-by-grace-and-supernatural-power-from-god-i-will-passionately/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Not Diana herself, although this was more of a Venus after all, could have done a graceful thing more gracefully. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/not-diana-herself-although-this-was-more-of-a-venus-after-all-could/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [In our view the Olympic idea involves a strong physical culture supplemented on the one hand by mobility, what is so aptly called 'fair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/in-our-view-the-olympic-idea-involves-a-strong-physical-culture/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [Rhythm and harmony enter most powerfully into the inner most part of the soul and lay forcible hands upon it, bearing grace with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/rhythm-and-harmony-enter-most-powerfully-into-the-inner-most-part-of/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > ['Death with dignity' is our society's expression of the universal yearning to achieve a graceful triumph over the stark and often repugnant finality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-b-nuland/death-with-dignity-is-our-society-s-expression-of-the-universal/) [Sherwin B. Nuland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-b-nuland/) > [“The day we decide to drop the flimsy makeshift scenarios in our cluttered mind and eschew the ‘alleluias’ of self-importance, life can become genuine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/the-day-we-decide-to-drop-the-flimsy-makeshift-scenarios-in-our/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [“There are gentler and more graceful ways to interface with natural conflict.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/there-are-gentler-and-more-graceful-ways-to-interface-with-natural/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) ## More by William Feather > [Before it can be solved, a problem must be clearly defined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/before-it-can-be-solved-a-problem-must-be-clearly-defined/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [Deliver me from all evildoers that talk nothing but sickness and failure. Grant me the companionship of men who think success and men who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/deliver-me-from-all-evildoers-that-talk-nothing-but-sickness-and/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [Unnecessary hustle is one of the American follies. We hustle at both work and play, and consequently enjoy neither to the utmost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/unnecessary-hustle-is-one-of-the-american-follies-we-hustle-at-both/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [Business is like a wheelbarrow-it stands still until someone pushes it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/business-is-like-a-wheelbarrow-it-stands-still-until-someone-pushes-it/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [A good man likes a hard boss. I don't mean a nagging boss or a grouchy boss. I mean a boss who insists on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/a-good-man-likes-a-hard-boss-i-don-t-mean-a-nagging-boss-or-a-grouchy/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [Loneliness is something you can't walk away from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/loneliness-is-something-you-can-t-walk-away-from/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [Success in business hinges mostly on the ability to get the important things done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/success-in-business-hinges-mostly-on-the-ability-to-get-the-important/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [It's not the increasing competition; it's going back to real work that most of us complain about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/it-s-not-the-increasing-competition-it-s-going-back-to-real-work-that/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [A man must not deny his manifest abilities, for that is to evade his obligations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/a-man-must-not-deny-his-manifest-abilities-for-that-is-to-evade-his/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [Always remember that there is a law of compensation which operates just as infallibly as gravitation, and that victory goes at last where it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/always-remember-that-there-is-a-law-of-compensation-which-operates/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [When ordering lunch, the big executives are just as indecisive as the rest of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/when-ordering-lunch-the-big-executives-are-just-as-indecisive-as-the/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/success-seems-to-be-largely-a-matter-of-hanging-on-after-others-have/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [Too many of us vote for our prejudices instead of our desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/too-many-of-us-vote-for-our-prejudices-instead-of-our-desires/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [Indifference and inaction must always pay a penalty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/indifference-and-inaction-must-always-pay-a-penalty/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [He that succeeds makes an important thing of the immediate task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/he-that-succeeds-makes-an-important-thing-of-the-immediate-task/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) [Explore all 155 William Feather quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) ## More Complaints quotes > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [The proliferation of right-to-carry laws throughout the states has drawn plaintive complaints from the criminal element. They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [Gratitude is the law of increase, and complaint is the law of decrease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-scovel-shinn/gratitude-is-the-law-of-increase-and-complaint-is-the-law-of-decrease/) [Florence Scovel Shinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-scovel-shinn/) > [I was so drunk last night I fell down and missed the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-martin/i-was-so-drunk-last-night-i-fell-down-and-missed-the-floor/) [Dean Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-martin/) > [Wherever I am, I see the yoke on women in some form or another. On some it sits easy for they are but beasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-may-alcott/wherever-i-am-i-see-the-yoke-on-women-in-some-form-or-another-on-some/) [Abby May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-may-alcott/) > [My mother spoke of Christ to my father, by her feminine and childlike virtues, and, after having borne his violence without a murmur or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/my-mother-spoke-of-christ-to-my-father-by-her-feminine-and-childlike/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [The greatest form of maturity is at harvest time. This is when we must learn how to reap without complaint if the amounts are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/the-greatest-form-of-maturity-is-at-harvest-time-this-is-when-we-must/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [I've had diseases that lasted longer than my marriages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-carter/i-ve-had-diseases-that-lasted-longer-than-my-marriages/) [Nell Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-carter/) > [A prudent pharmacist often vends something for your complaint. But wine merchant you do this invariably.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-campion/a-prudent-pharmacist-often-vends-something-for-your-complaint-but/) [Thomas Campion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-campion/) > [“If you believe that the world is conspiring against you, it will just do that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/if-you-believe-that-the-world-is-conspiring-against-you-it-will-just/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [Writing as a woman presents enormous problems but I have attempted it several times and haven't had many complaints.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harrison/writing-as-a-woman-presents-enormous-problems-but-i-have-attempted-it/) [Jim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harrison/) > [Sometimes I feel like an old hooker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cher/sometimes-i-feel-like-an-old-hooker/) [Cher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cher/) > [You could at least complain,” I say. “I adore complaining. It calms the nerves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/you-could-at-least-complain-i-say-i-adore-complaining-it-calms-the/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [I think that it's extraordinarily important that we in computer science keep fun in computing. When it started out, it was an awful lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-perlis/i-think-that-it-s-extraordinarily-important-that-we-in-computer/) [Alan Perlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-perlis/) > [I've always been a happy-go-lucky person. I haven't got any dark tales, I didn't draw on my own past, I'm from a very normal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicky-mcclure/i-ve-always-been-a-happy-go-lucky-person-i-haven-t-got-any-dark-tales/) [Vicky McClure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicky-mcclure/) [Browse all 597 Complaints quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complaints/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Everybody knows how to utter a complaint, but few can express a graceful compliment.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Feather" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/everybody-knows-how-to-utter-a-complaint-but-few-can-express-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Complaints" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/everybody-knows-how-to-utter-a-complaint-but-few-can-express-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/william-feather-2664_complaints_everybody-knows-how-to-utter-a-complaint_3067147.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/william-feather-2664_complaints_everybody-knows-how-to-utter-a-complaint_3067147.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/william-feather-2664_complaints_everybody-knows-how-to-utter-a-complaint_3067147.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Everybody knows how to utter a complaint, but few can express a graceful compliment.” — William Feather", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Feather", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Everybody knows how to utter a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/everybody-knows-how-to-utter-a-complaint-but-few-can-express-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/everybody-knows-how-to-utter-a-complaint-but-few-can-express-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```