Want to be more likeable?

Here are some traits that amiable people possess

Too many people succumb to the mistaken belief that being likeable comes from natural, unteachable traits that only belong to a lucky few: the good looking, the fiercely social, and the incredibly talented.

However, there are basic attitudes that you can adopt to improve relationships with those around you.

Here are some examples:

Be confident: People like to be around others who are sure of themselves without being arrogant. Be self-assured in who you are without constantly stepping on others’ toes. A healthy level of confidence is knowing you’re pretty great, but that there’s always someone better than you. Likeable people know who they are. They are confident enough to be comfortable in their own skin.

Be positive: People who are happy and optimistic tend to be, by far, the most likeable individuals. These are the few who talk about positive stuff rather the negative, show hopefulness, radiates feelings of joy through their body language, joke around and focus on having fun. This feel-good, have-fun attitude is extremely contagious, and it makes others feel well.

Be genuine: Being sincere and honest is essential to being likeable. No one likes someone who is fake. People gravitate toward those who are genuine because they know they can trust them.

Be consistent: When people approach you, they like to know who they’re dealing with. To be consistent, you must be reliable and you must ensure that even when your mood goes up and down, it doesn’t affect how you treat other people.

Don’t judge: Rather than seeing others as good or bad, try to understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, choices, and mistakes. Likeable people make this their philosophy and, as long as no one is getting hurt, they never pass judgment on the value or morality of another person.

Don’t be competitive: Likeable individuals never try to one-up in a conversation. Instead, they view conversations as an opportunity to connect and create deep relationships with others.

Remember, no matter how you are and what you do, not everybody is going to like you. Human preferences are very diverse and often the very behavior that will get some people to like you, will make others dislike you.

Latin American Post | Luisa Fernanda Báez Toro

Copy edited by Susana Cicchetto