When I was 18 or so, I was asked by one of my grandfather’s pervy law partners if I intended to get by in the world on my smarts or my looks. Of course, I would have loved to have glued his mouth shut, but I also kind of appreciated the reveal: Anyone stupid enough to underestimate me is the one at a disadvantage, not the other way around. I do believe that this dumb little comment was meant to be flattering, but instead it underscored that complimenting anyone has always been a tricky endeavor.