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likability
Being perfect makes you less likable, not more.
A competent person becomes more attractive and relatable when they commit a minor, clumsy error.
A 1966 study found that observers gave the highest likability ratings to a high-achieving candidate who spilled coffee during an interview. The mistake humanizes the individual.
Your flaws are the bridge to connection.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Aronson, Willerman, and Floyd, 1966, Psychonomic Science
- What the check found
- The study (Aronson, Willerman, & Floyd, 1966) is a classic in social psychology. The effect is real but strictly moderated by the perceived baseline competence of the subject.
- Confidence
- Solid, with limits
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.