Want to Seem More Likable? Try This

For many of us, meeting new people can be an anxiety-inducing affair.

Am I talking too much? Was my handshake too weak? Did I make too much eye contact? Too little? Am I boring? Are they boring, but they’re boring because I’m boring?

It can be a mess! All of our worst social paranoias contained in a single interaction.

But there’s an easy way to get around this, simultaneously coming off as more likable while working to build a deeper, more genuine connection with someone: Ask questions.

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Imagine that! Being a genuine, sincere conversation partner makes people like you more. What a world.

Even more good news: Although people generally tend to reflect on an initial conversation with someone as a negative experience — like ruminating on those “Did I make enough eye contact?” type of questions — it’s thankfully all in our heads, according to a new study published in Psychological Science.