As human beings we want people to like us. Whether in a personal setting, or a professional setting, people want to bond, to make friends, to be liked. Well according to a new paper in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, there's one incredibly easy way to get people to like you: Ask them questions about themselves.
The research found that people, kind of shockingly, have no idea how to make good first impressions. "Most people spend the majority of their conversations sharing their own views rather than focusing on the other person," the authors of the study wrote.
The study also found that people particularly like when you ask follow-up questions because it proves you were listening to them. Shockingly easy, right?
So whether you're in a work-setting, at a party, at dinner, wherever, just talk to the people you're with and really listen. Check in with them, ask their opinion, ask what they're reading these days and listen for the answer. Who knew it was so easy to get people to like you? Did you?