1. You are too active on social media
If you post a lot of photos, it can be annoying. This is the conclusion researchers from Birmingham Business School. They emphasize that most subscribers do not know you well enough, so they will not be interested in following your every move. Although the study was conducted only on the Facebook audience*, its results are quite applicable to other social networks.
2. You have too many or too few friends on social networks
The number of followers matters, too. Researchers at the University of Michigan students to rate several people based on their Facebook profiles*. Those with about 100 or fewer friends scored the lowest . Users with more than 300 followers elicited almost the same reaction. People with about 300 friends were rated the highest by respondents.
Subsequent studies that the number of followers does indeed affect the impression of a person: too few and too many friends seem suspicious.
3. You take photos of your face too close.
Scientists from California several subjects to play an economic game. Trust was important in it: the participants looked at people in photographs and decided how much money they would give them.
It turned out that those whose faces were taken from a distance of 45 cm were trusted by the players less. They were also considered less attractive and competent. According to the researchers, the point is that we perceive a photo taken so close as an invasion of personal space.
The respondents rated those people whose faces were taken from a distance of 135 cm much better. Keep this in mind when you take a new photo for your avatar.
4. You sacrifice yourself for the good of others.
It may seem that the more altruistic you are, the more people like you. But this is far from always the case.
In 2010, American psychologists several students to play with four other people they wouldn’t see. In reality, these were computer algorithms. One of them either tried to maximize its profit or invested heavily in the common cause. The others behaved with restraint.
At the end of the experiment, the students were asked to rate those they had played with. It turned out that overly selfless people were disliked almost as much as egoists .
5. You are feigning modesty
Often, when asked about their shortcomings, people start listing qualities that actually put them in a good light. For example, they say that they suffer from perfectionism or excessive hard work . They try to seem positive in everything, to earn sympathy by complaining or being modest.
The authors of a study conducted at Harvard Business School that such a self-presentation strategy is ineffective. During the experiments, it was found that “modest bragging” is not liked by interlocutors, and makes them doubt the person’s competence. People sense insincerity and therefore will treat even ordinary braggarts more favorably.
Keep this in mind when you go on a date or interview .
6. You are nervous
Dealing with stress and nervous tension is not easy, but it needs to be done. And here’s another reason why.
Studies that the smell of sweat released during stress causes greater aversion than that produced by physical exertion. A nervous person begins to be perceived as less competent and self-confident. However, this reaction was found only in men.
You can smooth out the effect by using an antiperspirant: it masks the “ stress smell .”
7. You have a complicated first or last name
As unpleasant as it may sound, people may not only ridicule those with difficult-to-pronounce names or surnames, but also intuitively them.
Scientists emphasize that names, in addition to the fact that they can communicate gender, ethnicity and origin, can influence life. For example, a person with an easy-to-pronounce surname will find it easier to advance in the service. This fact is worth considering, although, of course, it is not necessary to run to the passport office.
8. You don’t shake hands firmly enough when you meet someone.
A firm handshake by people as a sign of a positive attitude toward life, sociability, and calmness. So it is not surprising that in experiments simulating job interviews, those who shook hands firmly higher scores.
It’s worth noting two things, though. This only applies to men (women’s handshakes had no effect on their chances of being chosen), and breaking a person’s wrist is not a good idea.
9. You brag about your influential acquaintances
Perhaps you studied in the same department with a celebrity or once rode in an elevator with a famous actor. Or maybe you have influential acquaintances ?
Either way, it’s best not to talk about it unless you’re asked or if the conversation was about something else. An experiment conducted by Swiss psychologists that namedropping (literally “throwing names”) is fraught with the risk of not being taken seriously. People will think that you’re bragging or trying to hide your lack of other achievements.
10. You act too cheerful and optimistic.
On the one hand, it seems obvious that no one likes gloomy people. This is confirmed by research. For example, a smile trust in a person, speaks of his honesty.
On the other hand, excessive optimism , such as openly expressing one’s own happiness, be considered naivety by others, i.e. an inability to adequately perceive the world. It is possible that interlocutors will try to give the “lucky ones” biased advice and exploit their weaknesses during negotiations.
11. You look very manly.
As by British psychologists has shown, although excessive masculinity attracts women, it is also regarded by them as a sign of infidelity . Therefore, they may not perceive brutal men as potential partners.
12. You avoid eye contact
Some people like to look into the eyes during a conversation, some don’t. But, as scientific research , maintaining eye contact is very important. With its help, people involuntarily try to learn more about the interlocutor.
Not wanting to contribute to this may seem like a sign that you are not being entirely sincere, or even lying . This reduces your attractiveness in the eyes of the person you are communicating with. So try not to look away during important conversations.
13. You don’t let the other person talk about themselves or you don’t reveal anything yourself
Sharing some information about yourself is a good way to win the favor of the interlocutor. To prove this, a team of psychologists from the USA communication between people on Skype, dividing the participants of the experiment into pairs.
In some, subjects shared information about themselves with each other during a conversation; in others, one person told the story while the other listened . As a result, the level of mutual sympathy among the latter was significantly lower.
Therefore, you should not bombard your interlocutor with questions or, on the contrary, just sit and listen. The exchange of personal information should be mutual, otherwise nothing good will come out of the communication.
14. You hide your emotions
Researchers that such behavior serves as a signal to others that you either do not want to communicate or are simply not the most pleasant person .
A recent experiment confirmed this. Psychologists asked several people to watch funny and sad videos, and their reactions were filmed. Some were instructed to react naturally, while others were instructed to suppress their emotions. Then the scientists asked students to rate the people in the video. Those who hid their feelings scored significantly lower.