While we shouldn’t necessarily judge people by first impressions, the truth is that we often do. Most people can tell right away whether or not they like someone, but there are some things that make people decide you’re a bad egg, according to The Independent. Are you guilty of any of these things?
- Nervous sweating While you can’t necessarily help sweating if you’re nervous or anxious about a situation, research has shown that the smell of that sweat isn’t all that appealing to people. Research performed by the Monell Chemical Senses Center in 2013 perhaps unsurprisingly found that people who smell like B.O. are rated as less likable, trustworthy, and competent than those who are at least wearing deodorant.
- Posting profile photos that are too close-up It sounds weird but science suggests this might be true. Profile photos taken at a distance of 1.5 feet away are rated way lower than those taken about 4.5 feet away. This is likely because photos taken from further away allow the person looking at the pictures to see more of you and your surroundings, whereas close-up photos can be fake and/or offer little context.
- Telling people TMI when you barely know them Is there anything worse than an over-sharer? Sure, you want to be open and honest with someone when you’re getting to know them, but they don’t need to know that you get six yeast infections a year or that you once had a threesome with your cousin’s best friend and your high school cheerleading coach. Keep the details to yourself for a bit, maybe (or forever).
- Pretending like you have no emotions/playing it too cool It’s always tempting to be the “cool” friend, girlfriend, colleague, etc. You want to seem like you have it together and that you’re bossing it in life even if you feel like a mess, right? Well, this may be working against you. Research has shown that people who suppress their emotions are way less likable than those who just say how they feel (within reason, of course).
- Sharing too many pics on Facebook There’s a difference between uploading a few shots from your birthday party and loading up four differently themed albums from the occasion with hundreds of photos each.
- Humblebragging This is somewhat self-explanatory: no one likes someone who pretends to display humility by subtly mentioning just how great they think they are. It’s tacky, it’s incredibly obvious, and it will make people dislike you, end of.
- Having too many or too few friends on Facebook A 2008 study showed that having about 300 friends on Facebook seemed to be just the right amount to make people think you’re pretty cool. Those with fewer than 100 friends were rated just as unlikable as those with more than 300. Why is having too many friends a bad thing? “Individuals with too many friends may appear to be focusing too much on Facebook, friending out of desperation rather than popularity,” the study found.
- Being too nice There’s a difference between being kind and courteous and kissing people’s butts because you’re desperate to be liked or you’re a pushover. Being too nice is also likely to make people second-guess your motives and wonder if maybe you’re being fake, which is never a good thing. Yes, you should treat people with respect and be friendly, but going overboard isn’t good for anyone.
- Asking tons about someone but sharing nothing about yourself Research performed by Susan Sprecher found that while a willingness to share things about yourself is a good way to get close to someone, it has to be mutual. “Although shy or socially anxious people may ask questions of the other to detract attention from themselves, our research shows that this is not a good strategy for relationship initiation,” the study said. “Both participants in an interaction need to disclose to generate mutual closeness and liking.”
