What Makes A Person Likeable?
What makes a person likeable?
It’s a question that I’m sure you’ve thought about from time to time. I mean, who doesn’t want to be liked by everyone? At the end of the day, we all want to be loved and appreciated by the people around us. It’s what makes us feel good and probably keeps you motivated.
But what are the distinct traits that make a person likeable? There are definitely a lot of things that can contribute to this. But I wanted to pinpoint the real important ones. That’s what we will be discussing today!
In this post, I’ll give you 5 distinct traits on what makes a person likeable. These are from my own observations as well as my own experience working with hundreds of people. While each person is unique in their own way, there are some common traits that make people very likeable. And I wanted to share them with you.
Without further ado let’s get started!
Positive.
The first thing you’ll probably notice with likeable people is that they’re really positive. And not just a positive mindset; they’re positive about everything. From their body language, demeanor, attitude and conversations, likeable people just exhibit pure positivity! That’s what I’ve noticed and what’s been my experience with someone who is incredibly liked by others.
And it’s not like some fake positivity, or the type of positivity that’s forced. These people either have it really good in their lives so they spread their positivity. Or their thinking always leaves them with optimism not only with themselves but with others as well. You are drawn to their positivity, hence why they are well liked.
They’re on your side.
There is something about likeable people that makes it feel like they’re always on your side, as if they’re your friend (even if they are actually not). When it comes to popular people (click here to read how to be popular), sometimes they can gather attention but they may seem like an enemy to you. Not with likeable people, they have an aura that they’re with you.
I remember asking a question to a guy that was always popular and well liked by my peers. Even though I didn’t know him personally, the way he answered my question was so warm and enthusiastic, it felt like he was a close friend. It was like a combination of him relating to my struggles and genuinely wanting to help me out. While some people will only want you help you because maybe they have to, these likeable people really do want to see you succeed.
Charismatic.
Another notable trait about likeable people is their charisma. Maybe it comes naturally for them or it’s something they have mastered over the years. But whatever it is, they have tons of charisma that draws people in. And it’s that charisma that makes them so likeable and attractive.
But when it comes to charisma, I don’t know. I don’t want to say that it’s something you’re born with. But at the same time, it’s something I believe that is very difficult to teach or replicate. It’s hard to as charismatic as someone like Dwayne The Rock Johnson or LeBron James.
And if you try to imitate that charismatic personality, in my experience it comes off as phony and fake. So I have to say that charisma is something that’s very prominent in likeable people, it’s also something that may not be teachable.
Fun to be around.
One thing I’ve definitely noticed with likeable people is that overall, they’re just fun to be around. Being serious and stoic has its time and place. But I feel a lot of us like to be around someone who is fun, has a sense of humor and enjoys having a good time.
Whether it’s watching an interview with someone that’s overall likeable, or having a discussion with a person over a various subject, you are entertained and enjoying yourself doing so. You don’t have to be their actual friend, but if you were, you’d likely have a good time with them!
Another trait of likeable people is an interesting one, and that’s social status. Whether they have social status or not, they are perceived to be really popular with the group. And it only comes naturally because of how likeable they are. You can see them command a conversation and have people listening to every word they say.
If someone wasn’t well respected, not only would they not be able to get people to listen to them but more importantly, there wouldn’t be too many people liking them. They may or may not try to be on top of the social group, but it’s something that comes naturally to them.
Some things you should know
Now if you’re thinking, “How do I go about being a likeable person?” I want you to know some very important things before you pursue this:
Never compromise your dignity. There is a difference between being liked and being respected. For example, you can be a total clown and have people like you. But they sure as heck won’t respect you for it. You want people to be laughing WITH you, not laughing AT you. So never compromise your own dignity or self esteem just to get people to like you. Do it the right way.
You are not perfect and that’s okay. There might be some of you guys looking at this post and thinking you have to be completely perfect in order for people to like you. And that’s not the way to go about this. Everyone has their flaws (yes, including those well-liked people we’ve been talking about) but that doesn’t mean people won’t like you for that. If anything, showing humility and imperfection can work for you. Being human and genuine is great to connect with others.
It’s okay to be yourself. Listen, we all can’t be as cool as The Rock or LeBron. Maybe you’re not as a positive person or you don’t naturally have that charisma. That’s totally fine, you don’t need to exactly like them for people to like you. The best combination is learning attractive traits and behaviors, while also showing your own personality. I call this being your BEST self.
Summary
To summarize, here are the 5 traits on what makes a person likeable:
- Positive.
- They’re on your side.
- Charismatic.
- Fun to be around.
- Perceived social status.
And there you have it; 5 traits that you can see what makes a person likeable. I hope you found this post useful!
If you have any questions or feedback, leave a comment below!
