Would you like someone to like you? One of the best ways of achieving that is by giving praise. When you start praising other people, they will normally be happy and it will cheer them up. And since you are the one giving the praise, they will also like you. Of course, if you start praising someone without them actually deserving it, and just to get close to them (with selfish intentions), then that can often backfire. If your praise is given with selfish intentions, and not as an encouragement and praise, then that is not good.
But, I just think about this morning. I brought a cake to school and a mum came over and asked me if the cake was from a bakery because it looked and tasted so good. That was a big praise, and honestly, it immediately made the person asking the question and giving the praise look better and more sympathetic. So, do you get it?
It shouldn't be about you, but it is a consequence of giving praise, that people will also look at you through a different lense, and who knows... maybe you will get some new friends? Life isn't a competition about who is the best (meaning that you don't give compliments), instead it is a journey we do together, and the more happy the person next to you is, the happier you will be!