Highly specific question, I know.
When people compliment me, I genuinely don’t know what to do. It feels like they’ve given me a physical object, and I’m just standing there holding it awkwardly, but I don’t know what to do with it.
Complements and praise does nothing for me emotionally, so I just say “thank you”; in the same way you thank a kid that handed you a rock they found on the ground.
Like, I appreciate the sentiment — as in, I know they’re trying to be nice or something, so it doesn’t bother me. It’s just one of many small things that makes social stuff a bit harder. For example, I probably don’t give out any complements to other people, because it doesn’t occur to me as an important thing to do. I’m sure this has many effects in my life I’m not aware of.
Praise has always kinda made me mildly uncomfortable, because I really don’t like a lot of attention on me. I prefer to stay in the background as much as possible.
When I get praise I smile and say thank you and that’s pretty much it. When it happens it takes me by such surprise that it’s the only thing I can think to do or say. No further platitudes like “I really appreciate that” or whatever, because I am now flustered and trying to end the interaction before I screw it up.