This is a continuation of the 2 part series “The 12 Golden Rules of Great Conversation.” 7. Great playfulness What do all great conversationalists have in common? They know how to play with the conversation. They can make their conversation fun. They do not take everything

The holidays are an excellent opportunity to socialize, make friends, have fun with others and be grateful for the people in your life. But if you’re somewhat on the shy side and you have trouble opening up during social interactions, holidays can be a pain in the neck, because…

We spend so much of our lives with our parents and yet most of it is devoted to routine and commonplace things. But we rarely discuss the profound. Time is short and unfortunately we are all getting older. There may never be a better time than now to have a meaningful conversation with your parent or parents. You…

All great conversations share common elements. Familiarize yourself with each of the 12 Golden Rules, and you will improve your interpersonal communication skills immediately.     1. Great Descriptions Do you want to sound more interesting? Then

For university students around the US it’s time to go back to school, or go for the first time for freshmen. European and other students might have a while before the next school year starts up, but this advice is for them, too. Talk to your professors! In one of my earliest posts here at Lifehack…

Children learn by asking questions. Students learn by asking questions. New recruits learn by asking questions. It is the simplest and most effective way of learning. People who think that they know it all no longer ask questions – why should they? Brilliant thinkers never stop asking questions because they know that this is…

by libertyandvigilance “Social media” has numerous definitions, and all of them share the principle that the Internet has given us a lot of cheap ways to communicate with each other. As computers have gotten cheaper and broadband pipes have become fatter, we’ve expanded the multimedia involved: text has been prominent…

“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” -Robert J. Hanlon In the classic 70s sitcom Three’s Company, many punchlines were the result of misunderstanding: whether it was the late John Ritter as chef Jack Tripper being mistaken as a gay man by his landlord, Mr. Roper, or a later…

Photo by Marloes Most people are unexceptional at following up: it sounds obvious, but it shouldn’t be this way, because followup (I spell it as a single word) is key to combining smaller achievements into bigger ones. Actively following up on conversation is also a trait of people who’re successful, focused, and relentless about living…

In my last post, I talked about how to get the most out of social media sites and services like Digg, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Entirely coincidentally, Thursday Bram write a post about marketing yourself shortly after. Unfortunately, any medium that makes itself so easy to use to promote yourself as today’s social media…

You probably shy away from some people on social occasions. Their conversations are tedious. You groan inwardly when they approach for you know that they are unremittingly dull company. Equally you may be fortunate enough to know some brilliant conversationalists who can enliven any discussion and who are excellent company whatever the circumstances. In what…

Photo by -bast- Through reading numerous books on communication and field testing hundreds of techniques, a few fundamental patterns have become very apparent to me. If you’ve ever been on a date, an interview, or a networking event, you may have noticed some of these social patterns as well. Before getting involved in an interaction with…

Over the past few years I have been reading books on personal development, relationships, communication, and the power of manipulation. I took things a step further, when I began to experiment with some of these techniques in real conversations. The thing to remember when your experiments involve other people is to have fun, treat it…

A while back, I recommended that students get to know their professors. I realize, though, that many students are intimidated or put off by their professors. This is especially so when students need something — a favor, special help with an assignment, a second chance on a test. It doesn’t need…

No. I repeat this simple word many times each day, in a variety of volumes and with relative efficacy. My three young children are used to me saying no but are keen to keep me in line in case I abuse the word or just get in the habit of saying no under the…