- When complimenting someone, make an effort to emphasize the compliment rather than the fact that you are giving it. Emphasize the "you" and not the "I."
This is something that I read in a Reader's Digest when I was 14 and has stuck with me ever since. Instead of saying "I like that dress," you could say, "You look really good in that dress," or "That is such a cute dress!" Apparently this makes the receiver of the compliment feel better about themselves! - Make people think it was their idea.
This one I learned from 11-12-year-olds at camp. I would play volleyball with them, and kids would yell to each other, "Get over there!" and "Stop! You're in my spot!" After this went nowhere, I would say, "Hey so-and-so, do you think it'd be good to trade spots so you can cover for me better?" What do you know, the kid would do it. Maybe it was because I was a counselor, but I'd like to think it was because he thought he decided to do it. - Don't make exclusive plans in front of excluded people.
I'd like to think this is an everyday nobrainer, but I fail at it so often, and so do a lot of people. If you are in a group of people, and you are planning to do something with one/some of them, don't talk about it in front of the rest of the group that is not included. It could hurt their feelings. - Try to be thoughtful at least once a month.
This means putting someone ahead of yourself. This should happen more often than once a month, but people get busy and forget, so a once-a-month goal is a good place to start. If a friend or someone you know is stressed out because of school, make them some cookies. If someone's parking meter has run out, pay a dime to give them more time. - Make eye contact.
People like to know they are being listened to. Unless someone is seriously interrupting some of your major essay-writing or something of that sort, it's not a bad thing to stop doing something to look somone in the eyes while y'all talk. - Have a response question when someone asks you about your life.
Don't hog the conversation, unless you're just having a really bad day. Then, feel free to tell them about it. But otherwise, having an interest in someone's life, or even just acting like it, can make someone feel important. - Laugh at jokes.
Maybe you've heard it before. So what? Laugh. People love to feel funny, and they will love that you laughed at their funniness. - Remember things about them, so you can tell them how you thought of them.
Know someone who loves Hugh Jackman? Tell that person about how you saw Hugh's blond look-alike that day. - Be happy with yourself.
Because people like people who like themselves. - I may have run out of cool things to add into my list.
- So I'm just going to cut it off at 9 real things to make people like you more. Maybe this is all my own perception, and these are all things I think are true but no one else agrees with. If so, carry on, I apologize for wasting your time.
- Just kidding, I didn't waste your time because here's a cute picture that sums up how I feel about summer rolling in:
