While serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the state of Montana I remember sitting in the home of a proud grandmother. She was boasting of her grandkids like any grandparent would do, except the praise she offered her grandchildren was always immediately followed by putting the other children down. This may sound harsh but, the truth is, we all do it. When we make comparisons we often place others below ourselves to make us seem better or above average.
On the other end of the spectrum, something I have noticed myself doing is when I pay someone a compliment I will put myself down. As if telling the other person they are better than me somehow makes it more sincere. This isn't all that helpful either.
Pointing out other people's strengths is great but let's not cheapen our compliments by dragging someone else through the mud.
