 Welcome back, Psych2Goers. So, we know you're not a sheep, a follower, or a sycophant. Yet the question still lingers, even if it's deep down. Am I likeable? Regardless of the hype around being a lone wolf, truth be told, being likeable is a natural concern rooted in human nature for survival. Sure, we don't need it to survive being eaten by wild animals anymore. Instead, it's necessary for survival in the modern jungle. Where professional connections and romantic prospects are at stake. Wondering where on the survivability scale you sit? Let's take a look at some likeable personality characteristics, so you can figure that out. Number one. You are genuine. Are your beliefs, ideals, and curiosities your own? Or are they directed by an outside hand? When faced with a task to tackle, do you just do as you're told? Or is the approach more... How can I do this to get what I need out of it? If you can honestly say that although you may listen to others, your decisions are your own, it's highly probable that you are being true to yourself and a genuine person. What is it about being genuine that is so likeable? It has to do with trust. If you're showing how you really feel and you're comfortable in your own skin, others can feel they're getting the truth. This authenticity also means the person has self-awareness. By looking inwards while staying grounded in who they truly are. Number two. You are a good listener. Quick, think of a scenario where you're in a conversation. What are you doing? Are you actively processing and understanding what is being said? Or are you muttering things like, mm-hmm, yeah, crazy right? Whilst being distracted or impatiently waiting to say your piece. Listening involves empathy as well as comprehension. When we listen carefully, we are considering the speaker's feelings and intentions without interfering with our own. Consideration implies care. Giving attention and respect to the speaker as well as the word spoken is telling the other person that they are cared for and are worthy of that care. What can we say? We like being cared about. Number three. You're humble. No, not humble brag or false modesty. We mean truly humble, which ironically is not something a humble person would usually use to describe themselves. A humble person has humility. They understand and accept their imperfections. So won't hesitate to acknowledge and apologize for mistakes. They will learn from those and try to improve. This is opposed to the, I'm always right, individual. As contradictory as it may sound, the pliability humility brings is stronger than rigid arrogance. Someone with humility is more approachable because they appear reasonable. Others know they won't get brashly shut down if they have a different or new opinion. Having humility also means increased emotional wellness and resilience. You know that being wrong isn't the end of the world. Then you trust yourself to fix it and improve on it. Humility. Good for you. Good for others. Number four. You are not judgmental. We all have to make judgments on some things or else we'd never make a decision on anything. When it comes to how people are viewed, there's a little more to the story. Being non-judgmental with others shows a sense of balance and empathy. You are able to embrace differences and can observe without giving a grade and sentencing on others' behavior or words. Certainly you may disagree with someone's ideas or way of thinking, but you can still accept and interact with them without judgment. You don't think they are bad. But you might simply consider, is this difference so impactful that we'll just go down different roads? We can't get along with everyone all the time and that's okay. Number five. You're empathetic. This ties into all the other characteristics. Empathy, as described in this context, means not only the ability to understand, see and feel from the other person's point of view, but also care about others. This allows for compassion towards others and the ability to challenge one's own perceptions and prejudices towards people with different viewpoints. And number six. You greet people by their name. If asked, who are you? We wouldn't be surprised if you started with, my name is, names are an integral part of your identity. It's a proclamation of your presence. So when you address someone by their name, it means you've noticed them, that you remembered them, and that they hold some importance to you. The resulting atmosphere of respect, recognition and consideration is definitely a positive. So those were some characteristics to look for, notice, maybe even practice. Likeability does involve other people though, so we're not solely responsible for it. There may be those who will never like us, no matter how likable we are, and that's not because you did something wrong. We do not control other people's feelings or how much they allow their own biases to affect them. You too may find people that on paper seem to be the most likable people, yet you feel a little meh about them, and that's not wrong, it's being human. We like you though, and we'd really like you to like us back. Commenting doesn't hurt either. Thanks for watching and catch you next time.