5 Scientifically Proven Ways to be Very Likable

We all want people to like us, and for good reason — because when they do, we can persuade them more easily.

In a sense, the more people like us, the more willing they will be to do what we say.

It’s not always easy though. Sometimes we get off on the wrong foot, or we find that we have different beliefs, values and opinions than the other person, and it’s making it hard for us to like them, which in turn makes it hard for them to like us.

Luckily, there are a few tools we can use to get people to like us better. I’ve gathered five of them here.

Enjoy.

1. Empathy

Whenever you have problems, who do you turn to? People who understand you. Maybe it’s your mom, or your spouse, or your best friend, but most people have that special someone they turn to when things get tough.

Why is this important?

Because we like people who empathize with us.

When someone else understands us and our problems, we feel a closer bond with them, and we want to share more, which in turn increases empathy even more. This is something that several scientific studies — such as (Baaren et. al. 2009) and (Yabar & Hess 2009) — have found to be true as well.