000367

98 READING BANK UNIT 1 1. Read the text. Want To Make Friends? Eight Tips For Making Yourself Likable We all want to feel that other people enjoy being with us, and that they seek our company. Close relationships are one of the most important ele‑ ments to happiness. It’s not always easy to make friends, however. To form a friendship, you must like someone – and you must also be likable . How can you boost the chances that someone will like you? Here are eight strategies – not ways to manipulate people, but to make sure that they see your desire to be friendly: 1. Smile . Now, this is no shock, but studies show that the amount of time you smile during a conversation has a direct impact on how friendly you seem to be. Also, people mimic the expressions on the faces they see, so if you smile, you’re more likely to be smiled at. 2. Be easily impressed and interested . Most people get more pleasure from wowing you with their humor than from being wowed by your humor. 3. Have a friendly and open behavior . Lean toward people, nod, say «Uh-huh», turn your body to face the other person’s body. Don’t turn away, cross your arms, answer in monosyllables, or scan the room (or look at your mobile phone!) as the other person talks. 4. Remember trait transfer . What you say about other people influ‑ ences how people see you. If you describe a group mate as brilliant and charismatic, your acquaintance may to associate you with those qualities. If you describe a group mate as arrogant and stubborn, those traits will stick to you. So watch what you say. 5. Laugh at yourself . A sense of humor will make you more likable and approachable. However, keep it light. You’ll make others uncomfortable if you run yourself down too much. 6. Radiate energy and good humor . Because of the phenomenon of «emotional contagion», people catch the emotions of other people, and they prefer to catch a good, energetic mood. 7. Show your liking for another person . We’re much more apt to like someone if we think that person likes us. Look for ways to signal that you enjoy a person’s company.