A lot of times, it can feel like some people just dislike you for no reason. You always make weird eye contact, they seem to avoid you, and you could've sworn they were just talking about you to their friend. This feeling sucks because 90% of the time, if someone doesn't like you, it's only because you haven't really given them the chance to; or, even more likely, you simply think someone dislikes you, when really they aren't thinking that at all. Or, some people are just mean-- ignore those types. How another person interacts with you actually has a lot more to do with how that person feels about themself than how they feel about you; thus, the best way to make someone like you is to make them like themselves when they are with you. So, someone doesn't like you? We'll see about that. Here are five, fool-proof ways to get pretty much anyone to like you.
1. Say 'hello' first.
You know that thing that you do when you see someone you know, and you both know that you know each other and that you definitely just made eye contact, but for some reason you both choose not to acknowledge it, so you both pretend like you didn't actually see each other until you inevitably come face-to-face and then you both have to perform a halfhearted, poorly-executed, "oh my gosh-- I didn't even see you there!" even though you both know that both of you did, in fact, see each other there? Yeah, stop doing that. It's weird.
Everyone wants to feel important and included; saying 'hello' to someone allows a person to feel exactly that. Plus, we all admire the types of people who can make a potentially uncomfortable situation comfortable.
2. Ask them questions.
Keep the other person talking for as long as possible. We all like to talk about ourselves--even if we pretend that we don't.
Self-disclosure develops closeness. Oddly enough, we tend to feel closest to those who listen to us rather than those who tell us about themselves.
Most importantly, remember the things that a person tells you and follow up. If your coworker told you about something they're doing this weekend, ask them how it went the next time you see them. This shows that the questions you ask are genuine and that you actually care about their answers. Like I said, we all like to feel as though we are important to someone else.
3. Make them laugh.
Even the most pathetic of jokes can allow the other person to associate a feeling of joy with your name. Even if it means they are laughing at you--it's worth it.
4. Use their name.
Again, we all just want to feel included. We all just want to feel important. Using a person's name when you talk to them acts as a reaffirming message, one that says "I know you" and "I hear you."
5. Be genuine. Always.
Acting as though you are something that you are not is weird, both for you and for the other person. Typically, when a person says they 'don't like' another person, the fact of the matter is actually that they don't know them well enough. Allow people to know you-- really know you-- and they will, at the very least, respect you.
We are all uncomfortable with the unknown. Allow others to feel comfortable by letting them know exactly the kind of person you are, instead of pretending to be the kind of person you think they would like.
