He said I was "very attractive."

It wasn't in a weird way. He said it matter-of-factly while listing off the things I had going for me in life, like he said I was smart, I was very attractive, I was in [my PhD program] which is a really good program that's really hard to get into, I had to achieve a lot of things to get where I am, ...
I made a face (like disbelief/skepticism) when he said "very attractive" but didn't comment on it.
I don't have ET or anything. I don't want him to be sexually attracted to me and I don't think he is.
I'm just focused on the fact that he said it like it was a statement of fact. He didn't even just say "attractive," he said "very attractive."
I definitely don't think of myself as attractive, let alone very attractive. I mean, I'm not hideous, but I'm maybe like a 6? And he's only ever seen me after a day in lab, without makeup, wearing baggy shirts and jeans, and with crazy frizzy hair.

On a completely separate note, we talked about how I can't feel anything like empathy or compassion for myself. Like hurting myself doesn't register emotionally as a bad thing the way it would if it was happening to someone else. I don't feel like I matter. Cruelty doesn't "count" when it's towards myself.
He said it makes him sad that I cut myself.
It may sound insignificant, but that was the first time he's said anything about emotions towards me. Up until now it's only ever been about my feelings towards myself. Up until this point I'd resisted the urge to ask him directly about his opinions or feelings about me.
Then we had this convo:
Me: Do you think I deserve it [cutting myself]?
Him: No.
Me: Do you think I'm a good person?
Him: Yes.
Me: Would you tell me if you didn't think I was a good person?
Him: Yes.
Me: Do you think everyone is a good person?
Him: No. There are a lot of white collar business people out there who are psychopaths and sociopaths.

I acknowledged that I definitely feel empathy and compassion for others, and he said he wished I could care about myself in the same way that I care about others.