Habits Of Likable People
We all have an innate longing to be liked and accepted by others. Being likable is what allows us to develop lasting friendships and meaningful connections. It’s also what enables us to work well in a team or effectively manage others. But what makes someone personable? What are the most common habits of likable people?
You’ll be pleased to hear that you don’t have to resort to any persuasive tactics or become a walkover. There are many simple habits that all likable people share, and none of them are hard to adopt.
Likable People Smile Often
As simple as it sounds, smiling at others really does make you more likable. Research backs this up too. Researchers at the University of Base found that smiling increases how attractive, trustworthy, and intelligent you seem to others. They also discovered that the bigger your smile, the more attractive you perceive yourself to be!
Likable People Have A Positive Attitude
We associate people who are always smiling with being happy. But there are many other ways you can give off an attitude of positivity to those around you. Positive people are rays of sunshine – their optimism has the power to lift the spirits of others. So, positive people become people attractors, as everyone wants to be close to them to soak up their good vibes. Research shows that people who appear happy and satisfied are likelier to be judged as more friendly, warm, and assertive. One study also found that people believe a cheerful temperament is more important than having high social skills, which is excellent news for introverts!
Likable People Address People By Their Name
Whenever someone I have only met once or twice remembers my name, I feel a deeper warmth toward them. And as it turns out, there is a psychological reason behind addressing people by name. According to psychologydictionary.org, using a person’s name when speaking to them is an effective relationship-building tactic that demonstrates attentiveness and helps to build trust. However, it is possible to overuse someone’s name, which may make you less likable.
Likable People Give Sincere Compliments
Research by Harvard Business Review found that many people believe giving a compliment to someone will make them feel uncomfortable. However, the opposite is true. To challenge this misconception, researchers asked participants to compliment another person. They consistently found that people underestimated how good their compliment would make the recipient feel. This proved that giving someone a genuine, heartfelt compliment can boost someone’s happiness and help you build a connection with them. Neuroscientists have found that our brains process verbal affirmation (compliments) similarly to financial rewards, making people feel valued, appreciated, and respected.
Likable People Do Acts Of Kindness
People naturally gravitate toward kind people, and one habit kind people have is doing acts of kindness. However, you should only do acts of kindness because you genuinely want to brighten other people’s days. I see many people jumping on acts of kindness like it’s a trend, doing it just for likes and external validation on social media. Doing acts of kindness should come from a sense of compassion, a trait that scientists have found increases activation in the brain regions of the giver and the receiver, which increases bonding between both people.
Likable People Are Fully Present When Interacting With Others
Like smiling, this is such a simple, likable habit but one that most of us (myself included) don’t do enough of. In the tech-addicted world we live in, it has become common to see people having in-person conversations while looking at their phones. People use their phones during meals with family, coffee catch-ups with friends, and even when speaking with acquaintances or strangers. Being distracted by your phone will not make you more likable to anyone – it will only make you appear self-centered and rude.
Likable People Are Good Listeners
You know those people who always fully understand what you tell them? You never have to repeat things, and they remember the small details of what you’ve said many weeks later. These people not only have the habit of being good listeners, but they likely have excellent active listening skills. What is active listening? According to the United States Institute Of Peace, it is a method of listening and responding to someone that improves mutual understanding. Participants who received active listening responses felt more understood than those who received the other two methods of communication. In addition, participants perceived those who used active listening to be more socially attractive (AKA likable) than those who didn’t.
Likable People Mirror People’s Body Language
This is another communication habit that likable people possess.Mirroring (scientifically called limbic synchrony) means copying the body language, speech, or facial expression of the person you’re speaking to. While you may think this would be annoying more than anything else, neuroscientists say that it actually shows empathy and understanding and builds trust and connection. This is because mirroring someone triggers specific nerve cells in the other person’s brain (called mirror neurons), which send signals, making them feel understood.
PORTIONS OF THIS ARTICLE USED WITH PERMISSION FROM GAMMA CLARKE
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