ORLANDO, Fla. – Your personality helps you make friends, can get you that dream job and can help you land the love of your life.
But what if people say that you’re not easy to approach or you seem downright mean?
Do you like to always be right? What about being late to events? How about RSVPing to an event, but not actually showing up or always crossing your arms when talking to people.
These are all things that could make you seem mean to other people -- even though it is not deliberate.
Some tips to make you seem more likable: don’t prioritize being right over being kind. Agree to disagree.
Also, some people wait for others to approach them, but if you approach them first and introduce yourself, you’ll seem nicer and less standoffish.
And actively listen to people as they talk. A recent Harvard study found those who ask more follow-up questions were better liked by their conversation partners -- and among speed-daters, it led to an increase in second dates.
Researchers from Harvard, Yale, Cornell and the University of Essex in the UK found that people tend to underestimate how much others liked and enjoyed their company. They dubbed this the "Liking Gap."