PRINCIPLES OF POPULARITY

1.     Popular people, throughout the world, tend to be cheerful and friendly. They take a genuine interest in others; they are helpful and kind; interesting and amusing. Unpopular people, on the other hand, are gloomy and hostile; boastful and mainly interested in themselves. They try to get others to do things for them rather than offer very much to others.

2.     Some individuals may be popular because of their position as well as their personality. They are able to offer tangible help of one kind or another.

3.     Physically attractive individuals, of either sex, tend to be more popular. To some extent obviously, physical attractiveness is something we are born with, or without, as the case may be.

4.     We are more likely to be popular if we know how to provide people with appropriate rewards. Many of these are non-verbal: for example, smiling, looking, touching, and using a friendly tone of voice.

5.     Intimacy can be rewarding (and not just physical intimacy): for example; we tend to find it rewarding when people share good news with us and disclose intimate thoughts and feelings.

6.     Emotional and material support is rewarding. And not surprisingly we tend to be more favorably disposed towards people who support and reward us than we are with those who try to undermine, threaten or punish us!

                                                                                                                         - Alex Howard