Smiling / nodding / other polite approval if someone tries hard and does a problem near you.
Respecting and acknowledging the relative difficulty of problems for all users at all levels
Absolutely this. Yesterday there was a lad at the wall who was siegeing one of my techy 6A+ numbers in the corner. I was sharing info on the positions and saying the standard stuff like "really get your hips over that and it will feel a lot better" (N.B. he was asking, rather than me giving unsolicited advice). The final move to the top requires a quick pop off some thin edges to a good flattie and after 20 minutes he was consistently getting there and falling with his hand over the top hold. I have not been so invested in someone getting to the top of something in months, it was fantastic to watch him on it.
The point of this ramble is, I see so many people (new and seasoned) who just bimble up the same routes they have done dozens of times and which are way too easy for them, be it a 5 or a 7A. It is so refreshing to see someone actually trying hard on a problem at my local wall rather than give it a few tries and then give up and climb something they have done multiple times already. I was psyched out of my tiny mind.
Disclaimer: people trying hard on stuff is a rarity at my local, which is annoying because that means a lot of the best problems don't get tried much. I am sure if it was crammed full of people grunting and sieging and celebrating every time they almost do a move, I would be lamenting the lack of people with a casual attitude to climbing.
