It doesn’t take much to make acquaintances and to get those acquaintances to adore you. Here are 3 negative habits that make people not just dislike you but want to avoid you altogether. Perhaps you have been doing one of these, take this as a sign to stop.

• Don’t try to come off as an expert in fields you know nothing about.

You would think that everyone knows and respects this sacred rule but I have been present at round table events where someone tried to come off as knowledgeable or skilled in an area that they know close to nothing about and it showed. 

I got second hand embarrassment from witnessing that. If you don’t know about a field, admit it and listen instead so you can gain a thing or two, rather than trying to dominate the conversation. When you do this you come off as an attention seeker and even worse, a liar.

• Don’t undermine other people’s preferences: 

Whatever that preference is be it food, books, music, sports, wine etc. Don’t try to belittle another person’s preference. One thing I learnt from an old friend was never to say “ewww” at a meal that someone else finds delicious but you hate. And this has stuck with me. I for one am not a fan of sea food but that doesn’t mean I need to make everyone who enjoys it feel uncomfortable or worse off stupid for their preference. 

As a society we thrive on understanding and tolerating one another so even when you can’t stand it try to keep an open mind and if it’s an ideology or a thought that you absolutely cannot stand then excuse yourself from the gathering.

• Allow others to speak: 

There is this tendency to want to speak over others especially at gatherings. We want others to know how smart or knowledgeable we are and they wouldn’t know that if we are quiet throughout the night. However, it’s more important to allow others to speak and try to listen. 

The worst of it all is speaking on top of others, that doesn’t show any class on your part. So try to listen and resist the urge to cut people off before they can finish their thought.

Closing Remarks

These are just 3 of the many negative habits that make people dislike you, want to stay away from you or just straight up avoid you. Let me know if you have any more in the comments.