by Christopher Kendalls

Created on: October 15, 2007

It took me a long time to appreciate the fact that I come across as a true prick. For lack of a better term, because Helium is a family website; the bottom line is that there has to be some differentiation between when my actions are justified and when I'm just being mean and working out of my own insecurities and hangups about how people have treated me over the years. This is what I've learned as to how a difficult personality can make themselves more likeable and agreeable.

Listen to others for a change

It's great that you're a nerd, a fashion devotee or know more about punk rock than most people know but life has a cruel way of immersing us in situations in which we're around people that we do not have anything at all in common with, at first. You haven't truly lived if you aren't or haven't been in that situation, and it probably happens a lot more than you're willing to admit. The only true way to get ahead in this world is to listen to the concerns of others you wouldn't normally be around, and then to tailor yourself to their needs. You don't have to loose yourself in the process or sell out, quite the contrary, and you'll be far more successful than those who are preoccupied with their niche audience.

Be willing to learn

No one likes a know-it-all, and no one knows everything. When we feel that we do, and aren't willing to learn we isolate those around us, and become less likeable without even realizing it.

Get your anger issues in check

Anger has it's place, but it can also be our worst enemy and cause us to go up against ourselves unnecessarily. Your anger isolates you from the society and shuts everyone else down around you; too often your expression of it is more self-serving and only serves to force people to respond to you in fear, instead of willingly. The problem with that is that people can't give you the 100% when you truly need it, and you have to accept whatever you get; too often you were better off not getting anything at all but again the instant gratification that anger brings often blinds us to that fact.

Enhance your spirituality

This will give a perspective outside of yourself and create a more selfless you that people may hate in the beginning but learn to appreciate over time. You learn to give more than take, mentor instead of looking for someone to step over, you get the idea. What people fail to see about God is that you have to go outside of what you're familiar with and deny yourself to truly find him. It isn't about looking into

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