9 Science Approved Life Hacks To Make Everything Better

9. Get People To Like You, By Shutting Up

Rule #1 for exuding charm and charisma: Let other people do the talking. Particularly about themselves. People love talking about themselves, so much so that in a series of studies by a Harvard neuroscientist, it was found that talking about yourself activates the same brain regions as food and sex, increasing levels of dopamine - the feel good chemical. This desire for self indulgence is so strong that even financial incentives couldn't stop people from talking about themselves. Obviously, this means that the more people have to talk about others (i.e. you), the less they're going to enjoy themselves. If you really want someone to feel happy and positive when talking to you, and subsequently like you more, just let them tell you about everything from their gap year to the dream they had last night (and try not to nod off). If you really want to get someone to like you (in, you know, that way), take this conversation about them for a walk, but let them set the pace. A study has found that women tend to find men more attractive when they match their walking pace to theirs. If this all seems a bit manipulative, just remember that it's probably something that your brain would do unconsciously anyway, so you may as well give it a boost.