Monday, September 9, 2013

How to Win Friends and Influence People: Chapters 1 and 2

"If You Want to Gather Honey, Don't Kick Over the Beehive"
The basic overview of this chapter is "Don't criticize, condemn or complain." which for me, as a person who often tries to give constructive criticism, this isn't a good thing. I'm the type of person who likes to know when something is wrong, whether I like it or not; I want to be able to have the opportunity to fix my mistakes. I understand that not everyone is like me, and I shouldn't assume that everyone want's to fix what is wrong, but I do believe that even if I lose a friend in the processes of telling them that something needs fixing, it still needs fixing.
As far as condemning and complaining goes, I agree. People don't want to hear you complain about their life, because people are self-centered, they want to talk about themselves. So if you really want to make a friend or ally, let them talk about themselves and let them ask you questions.

"The Big Secret of Dealing with People"
As a southern girl I was raised to say "Please and Thank you", which in the real world can go a long way. People like to hear that they did a good job, they want recognition for what they've done; and sometimes will go crazy just trying to get it. Telling someone they did good is definitely a good way to make friends; it also helps when your trying to get productivity higher in the work place. 

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