Explanation:

- The given passage discusses how compliments make people feel good, whether they come from friends, family, or strangers.

- The sentence before the blank says, "Expectations are more from family and friends," which means we expect more compliments from them.

- The next part says that “even compliments from strangers feel good if they are genuine.”

- We need a word to connect these two ideas—having high expectations from close ones, but genuine compliments from strangers are still valuable.

- Let’s check the options:

- Option 1: "so" — Suggests a result, not a contrast. (Not suitable.)

- Option 2: "however" — Shows contrast, fits the difference between expectations from known people and the impact of strangers’ compliments.

- Option 3: "and" — Just adds information, doesn’t show the needed contrast.

- Option 4: "unless" — Sets a condition, not fit here.

- Correct answer is Option 2 ("however") because it properly connects the two contrasting ideas in the sentence.