It can make us doubt the sincerity of the person offering the praise. Does he really mean it or is he just trying to make me feel good? What does he want from me? It can feel dismissive. Did he even look at all that work I did? Maybe it wasn’t worth the effort. It can make us feel threatened. What if I can’t do it again? It can even cause us to give up completely—to stop what we’re doing and walk away.
Good reminder... I often have trouble remembering or explaining how or why praise can be not-so-good.
