This is a very interesting post! Thank you for starting this thread.
My thoughts on this are probably unique to my personality. I LOVE people! I love them for all different sorts of reasons. They have stories, they have characters, they have quirks, flaws, make mistakes, are able to reverse their mistakes and so on. In my eyes (and I am very sincere about that) no on is unattractive just by their outward appearance. What makes people unattractive to me are when they lie, deceive, treat people badly etc.

In my life, with people I know and meet, I give compliments a lot. I strongly believe in the 5-1 ratio. If you have something to criticize in another person, do so by at least giving them five positive things about them.
I have this friend, whom I regard as one of the best people I know, who has this philosophy down to the core and his life is full of happiness, content and love. When I go to visit him, he greets me at the door with a hug (1 positive) he says "Hi gorgeous" (2 positive) he asks me in and on the way in already tells me he has been thinking about me (3 positive). We then talk and if there is something he disagrees on he says something like "Sweetheart (4 positive), I know you think that way but... (1 negative)" When I leave he usually encourages me somehow, tells me how important I am to him etc. (5 positive)

So, long story short, I strongly believe we need compliments and assurances about us that are positive to become more secure in our identity. We can't build a healthy confidence in who we are, what our worth is, if others don't tell us.. And we should tell others what we like in them, compliment them sincerely but not inflationary.

In Therapy, I believe compliments are just as important! My T tells me when she likes a skirt I wear for example. Or she thinks the wig I chose for the day is really cool, haha...
She also compliments me on my intelligence or strength etc. In an email she wrote the other day: "I continue to admire you and your strength. You are quite amazing!"
I think compliments are important and if a T has something nice to say about a client, I'd rather he/says it and helps the self image of a client than to hesitate out of reasons that might not be in the client's best interest.

So yes, make compliments, take compliments. We are never too old to be told nice things about us.