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More Than 200 Years Ago, Ben Franklin Wrote About This Simple Trick That Can Make Anyone Super Likable

Jessica Stillman
4 min readJan 26, 2022

Charming people who like you, and whom you like, is easy enough. You smile, make eye contact, remember names, make yourself useful. And if you had any initial rapport at all, you’ll probably end up professional allies if not true friends.

But what do you do with the haters? Those with whom, for whatever reason of circumstance or disposition, you just seem to naturally clash?

Being able to win over the hostile is the mark of the exceptionally likable, but it’s also super hard. Your first instinct is probably to avoid those who dislike you, or to dislike them right back. That’s natural but gets you no closer to winning them over.

There is a better way, but it demands you go against your natural impulses. If you can stomach it though, both modern psychology and founding father Ben Franklin say it really will allow you to win over just about anyone.

The weirdest way to become super likable is also the most effective.

The clever, counterintuitive trick was discussed more than 200 hundred years ago by Franklin, which is why today it’s generally known as the Ben Franklin effect. In his autobiography, Franklin writes how, as a young…

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Jessica Stillman
Jessica Stillman

Written by Jessica Stillman

Top Inc.com columnist/ Editor/ Ghostwriter. Book lover. Travel fiend. Nap enthusiast. https://jessicastillman.com/

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