Sherry Taylor

Q: New VA research says that when you’re meeting someone for the first time or trying to repair an old friendship, you should do this?

A: Make them laugh

Here is a fun and easy little trick to be the person everyone likes: Share a laugh. Whether you’re meeting someone for the first time or want to strengthen an existing friendship that has faltered, say something that will make you both laugh. That’s the word from researchers at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, who analyzed more than 5,500 social interactions and determined that sharing a laugh with someone now is an excellent predictor of social rewards later whether it be a friendship or a relationship between work colleagues, reports Prevention magazine. while using laughter as a foundation for a healthy relationship is old hat, what’s new about this research is that it focuses on how today’s laugh can impact something that may happen a month from now. For example, share a laugh with a client today, and you may have a better chance of closing the deal next week.

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