When You Are Given Compliment Be Like Margaret Thatcher & Paul McCartney

Years ago I read an article in the Sunday Times Magazine that outlined the one common trait that 'all' successful people had in common, they say, "Thank you" when given a compliment about something they have done.

Through the mists of time I recall three of the people given as examples of successful people that all say "thank you", Richard Branson, Margaret Thatcher, and Paul McCartney. The line about McCartney went something like this

If you tell McCartney that you think Yesterday is an excellent song he won't try and brush it off as, "Just one of the many songs we wrote", or, "It wasn't me it was the muse", he will unashamedly say, "Thank you."

Something like that.

I have Googled everything I can over many years to see if I can find the original article (which may or may not have actually be Sunday Times Magazine, who knows) - nothing, never found anything of the article nor any such research the article was probably based upon. But it was real, promise.

I have never forgotten it, and always try to say thank you when someone says nice things to me.

btw: if you want to know the number one trait of successful people, this is the list according to the World Wide Web:

• Persistence
• Resilience (grit)
• Creativity
• Goal setting
• Sociability
• Adaptability
• Clarity
• Continuous learning
• Focus
• Self-discipline
• Patience
• Honesty
• Unafraid to fail
• Disciplined
• Optimism
• Collaborative
• Composed
• Routines and rituals
• Obsession
• Realistic
• Sacrifice
• Integrity
• Action orientated
• Positive body language
• Self control
• Clarity of communication
• … and on it goes!

Take your pick!

This post re-inspired by Psychology Says People Who Say “Please” And “Thank You” Without Thinking Twice Usually Display These 7 Deeply Rooted Qualities, March 21, 2026

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