9 things you're doing that make

people dislike you immediately

1. SHARING TOO MANY PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK
You might be eager to share snapshots of your honeymoon, your cousin's graduation, and
your dog dressed up in a Halloween costume, all within a 24-hour period.
But research has found that posting too many photos on Facebook can hurt your real-life
relationships.
"This is because people, other than very close friends and relatives, don't seem to relate
well to those who constantly share photos of themselves," lead study author David
Houghton, Ph.D., said in a release.
Specifically, friends dont like it when youve got too many photos of family, and
relatives dont like it when youve got too many photos of friends.
As Ben Marder, Ph.D., another author on the study, put it: "Be cautious when sharing and
think how it will be perceived by all the others who may see it. Although sharing is a
great way to better relationships, it can also damage them."

2. HAVING TOO MANY OR TOO FEW FACEBOOK FRIENDS

In one study, researchers asked college students to look at fictional Facebook profiles and
decide how much they liked the profiles' owners.
The study took place back in 2008, and the students had about 300 friends each.Results
showed that the "sweet spot" for likability was about 300 friends. Likability ratings were
lowest when a profile owner had only about 100 friends, and almost as low when they
had more than 300 friends.
As for why 300-plus friends could be a turn-off, the study authors write, "Individuals
with too many friends may appear to be focusing too much on Facebook, friending out of
desperation rather than popularity.
"On the other hand, the researchers acknowledge that if you look at a population where
the most common number of Facebook friends is 1,000, the sweet spot for likability
could be 1,000. (Keep in mind, though, that one survey found the average number of
Facebook friends among adult users was 338 in 2014.)

Interestingly, the study also found that participants weren't consciously aware that they
liked people less when they had too many or too few Facebook friends.

3. DISCLOSING SOMETHING EXTREMELY PERSONAL EARLY ON IN A

RELATIONSHIP
In general, people like each other more after they've traded confidences. In fact, selfdisclosure is one of the best ways to make friends as an adult.
But psychologists say that disclosing something too intimate say, the fact that your
sister is having an extramarital affair while you're still getting to know someone can
make you seem insecure and decrease your likability.
The key is to get personal without getting overly personal. As one study led by Susan
Sprecher at Illinois State University suggests, simply sharing details about your hobbies
and your favourite childhood memories can make you seem warmer and more likable.

4. ASKING SOMEONE QUESTIONS WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT

YOURSELF AT ALL
That same study by Susan Sprecher found an important caveat to the idea that selfdisclosure predicts closeness: It has to be mutual. People generally like you less if you
dont reciprocate when they disclose something intimate.
In the study, unacquainted participants either engaged in back-and-forth self disclosure or
took turns self-disclosing for 12 minutes each while the other listened.
Results showed that participants in the back-and-forth group liked each other
significantly more.
As the authors write, "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. Both participants in an interaction need to disclose to
generate mutual closeness and liking."

5. POSTING A CLOSE-UP PROFILE PHOTO

If your LinkedIn profile features an image of your face practically smushed up against the
camera, youd be wise to change it.
Research suggests that faces photographed from just 45 cm (about 1.5 feet) away are
considered less trustworthy, attractive and competent than faces photographed from 135
centimeters (about 4.5 feet) away.

6. HIDING YOUR EMOTIONS

Research suggests that letting your real feelings come through is a better strategy for
getting people to like you than bottling it all up.
In one study, researchers videotaped people watching the fake-orgasm scene from the
movie "When Harry Met Sally" and a sad scene from the movie "The Champ." In some
cases, the actors were instructed to react naturally; in another they were instructed to
suppress their emotions.
College students then watched the four versions of the videos. Researchers measured how
much the students would be interested in befriending the people in the videos, as well as
their assessments of the personalities of the people in the videos. Results showed that
suppressors were judged less likable as well as less extroverted and agreeable than
people who emoted naturally.It probably goes back to that idea of reciprocation.
The researchers write: "People do not pursue close relationships indiscriminately
they probably look for people who are likely to reciprocate their investments. So when
perceivers detect that someone is hiding their emotions, they may interpret that as a
disinterest in the things that emotional expression facilitates closeness, social support,
and interpersonal coordination."

7. ACTING TOO NICE

You might think you'll win people over by acting altruistic but science suggests
otherwise.
In a 2010 study, researchers at Washington State University gave college students points
that they could keep or redeem for meal service vouchers.
Participants were told that they were playing in groups of five even though four of
them were just manipulations by the researchers and were told that giving up points
would boost the groups chance of getting a monetary reward.Some of the "fake"
participants would give up lots of points and only take a few vouchers. As it turns out,
most participants said they wouldnt want to work with their unselfish teammate again.
Some participants said the unselfish teammate made them look bad; others suspected they
had ulterior motives.
The real-world implication here is that you don't want to be the coworker who always
agrees to get pizza for the meeting or fix the printer when it's jammed. Instead, it's okay
to say "no" once in a while, as long as you explain why you can't commit.

8. HUMBLEBRAGGING
To impress friends and potential employers, avoid complimenting yourself and trying to
disguise it as self-criticism.
This behaviour, otherwise known as "humblebragging," could be a turn-off, according to
a recent study.
In the study, college students were asked to write down how they'd answer a question
about their biggest weakness in a job interview. Results showed that more than threequarters of participants humblebragged, usually about being a perfectionist or working
too hard.
Yet independent research assistants said theyd be much more likely to hire the
participants who were honest, and found them significantly more likable. Those students
said things like, "I'm not always the best at staying organised" and "Sometimes I
overreact to situations."
Another alternative is to talk about weaknesses that don't directly relate to the job for
example, a fear of public speaking if you're applying for a writing position.

9. GETTING TOO NERVOUS

Never let 'em see or smell you sweat. Research suggests the odor of your nervous
sweat may subconsciously influence peoples judgments of your personality.
Back in 2013, researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center had participants watch
videos of women in everyday situations, like working in an office and taking care of a
child. While watching the videos, they sniffed three kinds of sweat in a row: sweat that
someone had produced while exercising, sweat produced during a stressful situation, and
sweat produced during a stressful situation that had been covered up with antiperspirant.
Participants were then asked to rate the women on how competent, confident, and
trustworthy they seemed.
Results showed that participants rated the women lower on all measures when they
smelled the stress-induced sweat. When they smelled the stress sweat that had been
covered up with antiperspirant, they rated the women more positively.
Bottom line? If you're prone to nervous sweating, be liberal with the deodorant.