We all have an innate need for belonging, and this motivates us to establish connections with other people. To increase the chance of establishing relationships with other people, we need to be more likeable to them, so having qualities that make us likeable to others is important. Here are 10 scientifically proven ways how to be more likeable.
1. Smiling is a proven way to be more likeable
Smiling is an easy and effective way to get to be liked by other people. Research has proven that when you smile, you’re not only more likeable, but also more affable and competent.[1] Whenever you smile you immediately create a connection with the other person and send out the universal message of happiness and pleasure. This message in just about every instance activates a return response from the other person in the form of a smile as well. Smiling is contagious; if you are in a room full of people and you smile, the other people will also smile, and everybody becomes happier.
Smiling also makes you seem “cooler”. Despite many people believing that maintaining an emotionally inexpressive attitude makes them cool, researchers have found that people are perceived to be cooler when they smile. Study participants were shown inexpressive or smiling photographs of celebrities and non-celebrities, and then rated the extent to which they seemed cool on a 7-point scale. The smiling models were consistently rated as cooler compared to the inexpressive models.[2]
Another additional benefit of smiling is the fact that whenever you smile endorphins are released in the brain that promotes a sense of well-being and comfort. Usually you tend to associate this feeling with whatever is going on around you. So when the person you’re having an interaction with smiles in response to your smile, they’ll associate this happiness with you, immediately making you more likeable.
What to do: If you’re in public or are even at home make an effort to smile whenever you can as it’ll make not just you, but the other people who are around you feel better as well.
Image Source: Portman Dentalcare