I almost always assume what people are saying is a compliment rather than thinking they are criticizing. They have to be extremely blatant for me to think otherwise, like when one guy I don’t know commented on my hairstyle being from the '80s - it is, and I’m quite content with it - but I know he meant it as a dig which was saying something more about him than me IMO.
If others were trying to make me feel bad by “compliments” I’m supposed to take otherwise, they failed.