Hackers have flooded the Internet with virus-tainted spam that targets Facebook's estimated 400 million users in an effort to steal banking passwords and gather other sensitive information.
The emails tell recipients that the passwords on their Facebook accounts have been reset, urging them to click on an attachment to obtain new login credentials, according to anti-virus software maker McAfee Inc.
If the attachment is opened, it downloads several types of malicious software, including a program that steals passwords, McAfee said on Wednesday.
Hackers have long targeted Facebook users, sending them tainted messages via the social networking company's own internal email system. With this new attack, they are using regular Internet email to spread their malicious software.
A Facebook spokesman said the company could not comment on the specific case, but pointed to a status update the company posted on its web site earlier on Wednesday warning users about the spoofed email and advising users to delete the email and to warn their friends.
McAfee estimates that hackers sent out tens of millions of spam across Europe, the United States and Asia since the campaign began on Tuesday.
Dave Marcus, McAfee's director of malware research and communications, said that he expects the hackers will succeed in infecting millions of computers.
"With Facebook as your lure, you potentially have 400 million people that can click on the attachment. If you get 10 percent success, that's 40 million," he said.
The email's subject line says "Facebook password reset confirmation customer support," according to Marcus.
Good Rule of Thumb: Don't open an emails from senders you don't know.....
Showing posts with label making friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label making friends. Show all posts
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Speechifying - How (and how not) to Get Yourself Elected
For this year's hockey tournament, I conducted an experiment. On team captain election day, I gave all eligible candidates a chance to speak to the class. This was an exercise in persuasion - an effort by the speaker to cause classmates to believe that s/he was the best person for the team captain position.
One of the secrets to this is to talk about how the speaker can benefit the voter. Voters choose based on who is best for the voter, not the speaker. Voters aren't really interested in hearing what the speaker wants. They're interested in hearing which speaker will give the voter what the voter wants. Speakers who to do the best job of telling voters how they would be good for the voter will usually win. This year's hockey team election was a good example of this.
Most of the speeches went something like this: "I'm running for captain because I've always wanted to be team captain, and, yeah...."
Others, seeking to be more convincing, said something like this: "I'm running for captain, because I really want to be one. I really, really want to be a captain. I hope you vote for me."
Are these persuasive speeches? How were these candidates different from one another? What are these candidates offering the voters? How do the voters benefit?
There were two speeches which had a significantly different message. One speaker told the class, "I'll be a fair and honest captain, I'll listen to what you tell me and I'll work hard to make sure the team is strong."
The other said: "I've watched other captains, so I think I know what a good captain should be like. I won't yell at you and I'll try to make sure that everybody has fun."
These speeches contained specific messages directed at the voters. In essence they said, if you vote for me, I'll do this for you.
The voters liked what they heard. The kids who delivered the latter speeches were the top vote getters in their classes by significant margins. The other speakers didn't get elected, receiving fewer votes than people who didn't speak at all.
One of the secrets to this is to talk about how the speaker can benefit the voter. Voters choose based on who is best for the voter, not the speaker. Voters aren't really interested in hearing what the speaker wants. They're interested in hearing which speaker will give the voter what the voter wants. Speakers who to do the best job of telling voters how they would be good for the voter will usually win. This year's hockey team election was a good example of this.
Most of the speeches went something like this: "I'm running for captain because I've always wanted to be team captain, and, yeah...."
Others, seeking to be more convincing, said something like this: "I'm running for captain, because I really want to be one. I really, really want to be a captain. I hope you vote for me."
Are these persuasive speeches? How were these candidates different from one another? What are these candidates offering the voters? How do the voters benefit?
There were two speeches which had a significantly different message. One speaker told the class, "I'll be a fair and honest captain, I'll listen to what you tell me and I'll work hard to make sure the team is strong."
The other said: "I've watched other captains, so I think I know what a good captain should be like. I won't yell at you and I'll try to make sure that everybody has fun."
These speeches contained specific messages directed at the voters. In essence they said, if you vote for me, I'll do this for you.
The voters liked what they heard. The kids who delivered the latter speeches were the top vote getters in their classes by significant margins. The other speakers didn't get elected, receiving fewer votes than people who didn't speak at all.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Making Friends - Step Six (of seven)
If you've been practicing the things we've written about so far, you've learned how powerful those tools are.
Being interested in others, smiling and using other people's names will break down their natural barriers to strangers and allow them to see you as someone who is friendly. Listening and encouraging others to talk about themselves will tell others that you are not just being nice but are really interested in getting to know them. Others now see you, not just as someone who is friendly and approachable, but as someone who is good to talk to.
People like other people who are good listeners and who are willing to let them talk.
By using the skills we've described so far, you've probably decided who you'd really like to have as a friend. Usually, this means that you've found others who are interested in some of the same things as you. If this is the case, the next step should be easy.
If you're interested in strengthening your relationship with someone, try this: start conversations with them about subjects that you know that you both find interesting, but do so in a way that invites them to talk about it.
Example:
Let's say the you want to be friends with someone who likes to read, like you do. You notice that s/he's carrying a book you've read and liked, so you start a conversation about it.
You: "Hi (person's name), how do you like that book?"
Other: "It's really good. I'm almost done and I don't want it to end."
You: "I felt the same way. Why do you like it so much?"
Other: "I really like how there is text and pictures and how the author uses pictures to tell a lot of the story. It makes me feel like I'm in the story."
You: "Me too!"
Other: "Really? How about when Hugo figured out who the old man was? I thought that was awesome!"...
See? By asking a question about something about which you know the other was interested, you found the other person eager to talk about it. By continuing to ask questions, you invited the other person to continue talking, which kept the conversation going. The other person became curious about what you thought and a full conversation took place. The conversation brought the two of you closer.
In the future, if the other person wants to talk about a book with someone, there's a good chance they'll come to you, because they'll know that this is a subject about which you like to talk. A friendship has begun.
Step Six: Talk in terms of the other person's interests
Being interested in others, smiling and using other people's names will break down their natural barriers to strangers and allow them to see you as someone who is friendly. Listening and encouraging others to talk about themselves will tell others that you are not just being nice but are really interested in getting to know them. Others now see you, not just as someone who is friendly and approachable, but as someone who is good to talk to.
People like other people who are good listeners and who are willing to let them talk.
By using the skills we've described so far, you've probably decided who you'd really like to have as a friend. Usually, this means that you've found others who are interested in some of the same things as you. If this is the case, the next step should be easy.
If you're interested in strengthening your relationship with someone, try this: start conversations with them about subjects that you know that you both find interesting, but do so in a way that invites them to talk about it.
Example:
Let's say the you want to be friends with someone who likes to read, like you do. You notice that s/he's carrying a book you've read and liked, so you start a conversation about it.
You: "Hi (person's name), how do you like that book?"
Other: "It's really good. I'm almost done and I don't want it to end."
You: "I felt the same way. Why do you like it so much?"
Other: "I really like how there is text and pictures and how the author uses pictures to tell a lot of the story. It makes me feel like I'm in the story."
You: "Me too!"
Other: "Really? How about when Hugo figured out who the old man was? I thought that was awesome!"...
See? By asking a question about something about which you know the other was interested, you found the other person eager to talk about it. By continuing to ask questions, you invited the other person to continue talking, which kept the conversation going. The other person became curious about what you thought and a full conversation took place. The conversation brought the two of you closer.
In the future, if the other person wants to talk about a book with someone, there's a good chance they'll come to you, because they'll know that this is a subject about which you like to talk. A friendship has begun.
Step Six: Talk in terms of the other person's interests
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Making Friends - Step Five
Do you see how the first four steps are interconnected? By smiling, using other people's names and listening, you are demonstrating a genuine interest in other people. People will really start to like you. Now let's learn how to turn this likability into real friendships.
Most friendships are based on common interests, likes and dislikes. Good friends know and understand each other. So, how do you get to know somebody without seeming nosy? How do you learn what another person's likes and dislikes are? How do you demonstrate interest and understanding?
This is actually pretty easy if you're really interested in people and you are a good listener.
You accomplish all of the above by encouraging people to talk about themselves.
People, especially kids, love to talk about themselves. As detailed in a previous post, most kids' conversations are really kids taking turns talking about themselves. That isn't a real conversation. It is people talking at each other instead of to each other.
If you want to know someone better and you want them to feel that you are interested in them, all you have to do is let them talk, while you ask questions that show you are interested in what they have to say. If they are interested in you, they will give you a chance to talk, too.
Example:
Potential friend: "I had a swim meet this weekend."
You: "Me too! How many events were you in?"
Potential friend: "Four. 50 free, 50 fly and two relays."
You: "How did you do?"
Potential friend: "One second, one third and two firsts."
You: "Wow! That's good!"
Potential friend: "Thanks. How was your meet?"
See? The result of this little conversation is that two people discovered they have a common interest. One (you) demonstrated interest in the other by asking questions that allowed the other a chance to talk and the other, after talking, reciprocated. They next time the two meet, they will have something to talk about and will be able to talk to each other, not at each other.
Step Five: Encourage people to talk about themselves
Most friendships are based on common interests, likes and dislikes. Good friends know and understand each other. So, how do you get to know somebody without seeming nosy? How do you learn what another person's likes and dislikes are? How do you demonstrate interest and understanding?
This is actually pretty easy if you're really interested in people and you are a good listener.
You accomplish all of the above by encouraging people to talk about themselves.
People, especially kids, love to talk about themselves. As detailed in a previous post, most kids' conversations are really kids taking turns talking about themselves. That isn't a real conversation. It is people talking at each other instead of to each other.
If you want to know someone better and you want them to feel that you are interested in them, all you have to do is let them talk, while you ask questions that show you are interested in what they have to say. If they are interested in you, they will give you a chance to talk, too.
Example:
Potential friend: "I had a swim meet this weekend."
You: "Me too! How many events were you in?"
Potential friend: "Four. 50 free, 50 fly and two relays."
You: "How did you do?"
Potential friend: "One second, one third and two firsts."
You: "Wow! That's good!"
Potential friend: "Thanks. How was your meet?"
See? The result of this little conversation is that two people discovered they have a common interest. One (you) demonstrated interest in the other by asking questions that allowed the other a chance to talk and the other, after talking, reciprocated. They next time the two meet, they will have something to talk about and will be able to talk to each other, not at each other.
Step Five: Encourage people to talk about themselves
Monday, May 18, 2009
Making Friends - Step Four
Okay, now we're getting into the nitty-gritty. Use the first three tools faithfully, and you will find that people, including people who never showed any interest in you before, will look forward to seeing you, be interested in getting to know you, talking to you and spending time with you.
The trick now is to really get to know these people and turn their interest in you into a real friendship.
This next skill is something that most adults, including me, can do better. Therefore, if you can master this skill at an early age you will possess a skill that many don't. Not only be able to make lots of friends, but you will be successful at anything you choose to do. The skill?
The ability to listen.
At the most basic level, a good listener pays close attention to and absorbs everything that s/he hears.
President Clinton used to have aides read complicated documents to him while he was busy doing something else. When the aide was done, Clinton could remember the document almost word for word. While discussing the document and having a disagreement with an aide about what it said, he would often say something like: "Go back to page 92, second paragraph. The one that begins with..." and he'd always be right.
Mr. Clinton demonstrated a phenomenal ability to listen and absorb words, facts and figures. But there's more to listening than that, especially when it comes to your relationships with people. If you really work at being a good listener and as your understanding of people grows, you will learn that a lot of what you are being told isn't being said.
Sound weird, but it's true. Truly good listening skills mean the ability to hear what is being said to understand what isn't being said. This is called the ability to read between the lines.
Simple Example: Let's say that I have a great player on my basketball team. S/he's tough, fast, skilled, hard working, enthusiastic. Looked up to by the other players. Then one day s/he shows up for a game and says, "my stomach hurts."
This is a simple statement that can mean a lot of different things. Could simply mean that the player's stomach hurts. But it could also mean that the player is scared and is looking for reassurance from me. It is up to me, the listener, to figure out what the player really means.
A poor listener would say something like: "I'm sorry to hear that, but we really need you today. Can you tough it out?"
A good listener would ask questions:
Coach: "Do you think it was something you ate?"
Player: "No."
Coach: "How long has your stomach been hurting?"
Player: "Not long."
Coach: "Do you need to sit out?"
Player: "No."
These answers indicate that the player still wants to play, so the stomach pain might just be anxiety. Coach's job now is to take the pressure off the player.
Coach: "Okay, I'll tell you what. I'm going to start you as usual, but if your stomach really starts to bother you, let me know and I'll take you out, okay? Anything you can do to help is good, so just give us the best you can."
Player: "Okay."
The ability to hear what isn't being said is something that comes with practice and experience. You'll never develop it, however, unless you make an effort to listen closely.
Step Four: Listen
The trick now is to really get to know these people and turn their interest in you into a real friendship.
This next skill is something that most adults, including me, can do better. Therefore, if you can master this skill at an early age you will possess a skill that many don't. Not only be able to make lots of friends, but you will be successful at anything you choose to do. The skill?
The ability to listen.
At the most basic level, a good listener pays close attention to and absorbs everything that s/he hears.
President Clinton used to have aides read complicated documents to him while he was busy doing something else. When the aide was done, Clinton could remember the document almost word for word. While discussing the document and having a disagreement with an aide about what it said, he would often say something like: "Go back to page 92, second paragraph. The one that begins with..." and he'd always be right.
Mr. Clinton demonstrated a phenomenal ability to listen and absorb words, facts and figures. But there's more to listening than that, especially when it comes to your relationships with people. If you really work at being a good listener and as your understanding of people grows, you will learn that a lot of what you are being told isn't being said.
Sound weird, but it's true. Truly good listening skills mean the ability to hear what is being said to understand what isn't being said. This is called the ability to read between the lines.
Simple Example: Let's say that I have a great player on my basketball team. S/he's tough, fast, skilled, hard working, enthusiastic. Looked up to by the other players. Then one day s/he shows up for a game and says, "my stomach hurts."
This is a simple statement that can mean a lot of different things. Could simply mean that the player's stomach hurts. But it could also mean that the player is scared and is looking for reassurance from me. It is up to me, the listener, to figure out what the player really means.
A poor listener would say something like: "I'm sorry to hear that, but we really need you today. Can you tough it out?"
A good listener would ask questions:
Coach: "Do you think it was something you ate?"
Player: "No."
Coach: "How long has your stomach been hurting?"
Player: "Not long."
Coach: "Do you need to sit out?"
Player: "No."
These answers indicate that the player still wants to play, so the stomach pain might just be anxiety. Coach's job now is to take the pressure off the player.
Coach: "Okay, I'll tell you what. I'm going to start you as usual, but if your stomach really starts to bother you, let me know and I'll take you out, okay? Anything you can do to help is good, so just give us the best you can."
Player: "Okay."
The ability to hear what isn't being said is something that comes with practice and experience. You'll never develop it, however, unless you make an effort to listen closely.
Step Four: Listen
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Making Friends - Step Three
Okay, so now you're walking around, smiling and greeting everyone you know by name. Right? So do you have a bunch of new friends now?
Well, probably not friends, but if you've been smiling and calling people by name others will see you as someone likeable.
But, these are only the first steps. These are called icebreakers, ways to break the barriers that people put between themselves and people they don't know.
Icebreakers are easy, because they don't cost you much. Smiling at someone and calling them by name doesn't make them your friend, but it will leave them with a good impression of you. The next steps are harder, because they will require that you give something of yourself with no guarantee that you'll get anything in return.
Before someone will be your friend, they have to know that you are want to know them better. You have to have a real interest in other people.
Most kids your age have a favorite conversation topic: themselves. Kids love to talk about themselves and the things they've been doing. This results in a lot of conversations which really aren't. Instead, they are a bunch of people waiting for one person to stop talking about her/himself so that another person can start talking about her/himself.
Typical conversation between 3 kids who want to share their spring break experiences:
Kid 1: "I went to Disneyland!"
Kid 2: "I went to Costa Rica!"
Kid 3: "I played a lot of baseball."
Kid 1: "After Disneyland, we went to Magic Mountain!"
Kid 2: "It rained every day, but it was still warm."
Kid 3: "I hit two home runs. "
See? Three people, three separate topics
Now here's how a conversation between two kids who are taking an interest in each other sounds:
Kid 1: "What did you do over spring break?"
Kid 2: "I went to Disneyland."
Kid 1: Oh, that sounds like fun!
Kid 2: "It was. One day we were there from from the time it opened to the time it closed. What did you do?"
Kid 1: "I went to Washington, D.C."
Kid 2: "Wow, that's cool. What was it like?"
In the second conversation, each kid is asking questions or making comments which encourage the other to talk more. When each is finished they give the other a chance to speak.
A good way to make new friends is to encourage others to talk about themselves and show genuine interest in what they're talking about.
Kid 1 (smiling): Hi _______ (remember to use the other's name), I heard you talking about your track meet. When is it?
Kid 2: "It's on Saturday."
Kid 1: "How many events are you in?"
Kid 2: "Four. I'm in the 100, the 400, the long jump and the 4x100 relay."
Kid 1: "Wow! You must be fast!"
Kid 2: "I hope so, but I'm not sure because this is our first meet."
Kid 1: "Don't worry, I'll bet you'll do well."
Kid 2: "Wanna come watch?"
By showing an interest in another person, kid 1 turned a casual conversation into an invitation. This could be the start of a friendship.
Step three: Take a genuine interest in other people.
Well, probably not friends, but if you've been smiling and calling people by name others will see you as someone likeable.
But, these are only the first steps. These are called icebreakers, ways to break the barriers that people put between themselves and people they don't know.
Icebreakers are easy, because they don't cost you much. Smiling at someone and calling them by name doesn't make them your friend, but it will leave them with a good impression of you. The next steps are harder, because they will require that you give something of yourself with no guarantee that you'll get anything in return.
Before someone will be your friend, they have to know that you are want to know them better. You have to have a real interest in other people.
Most kids your age have a favorite conversation topic: themselves. Kids love to talk about themselves and the things they've been doing. This results in a lot of conversations which really aren't. Instead, they are a bunch of people waiting for one person to stop talking about her/himself so that another person can start talking about her/himself.
Typical conversation between 3 kids who want to share their spring break experiences:
Kid 1: "I went to Disneyland!"
Kid 2: "I went to Costa Rica!"
Kid 3: "I played a lot of baseball."
Kid 1: "After Disneyland, we went to Magic Mountain!"
Kid 2: "It rained every day, but it was still warm."
Kid 3: "I hit two home runs. "
See? Three people, three separate topics
Now here's how a conversation between two kids who are taking an interest in each other sounds:
Kid 1: "What did you do over spring break?"
Kid 2: "I went to Disneyland."
Kid 1: Oh, that sounds like fun!
Kid 2: "It was. One day we were there from from the time it opened to the time it closed. What did you do?"
Kid 1: "I went to Washington, D.C."
Kid 2: "Wow, that's cool. What was it like?"
In the second conversation, each kid is asking questions or making comments which encourage the other to talk more. When each is finished they give the other a chance to speak.
A good way to make new friends is to encourage others to talk about themselves and show genuine interest in what they're talking about.
Kid 1 (smiling): Hi _______ (remember to use the other's name), I heard you talking about your track meet. When is it?
Kid 2: "It's on Saturday."
Kid 1: "How many events are you in?"
Kid 2: "Four. I'm in the 100, the 400, the long jump and the 4x100 relay."
Kid 1: "Wow! You must be fast!"
Kid 2: "I hope so, but I'm not sure because this is our first meet."
Kid 1: "Don't worry, I'll bet you'll do well."
Kid 2: "Wanna come watch?"
By showing an interest in another person, kid 1 turned a casual conversation into an invitation. This could be the start of a friendship.
Step three: Take a genuine interest in other people.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Making Friends - Step Two
Now, obviously, just walking around with a smile on your face isn't going to make you a lot of friends by itself. After all, there are lots of different smiles. There's the cheesy, posing for a picture smile, the secretive I know something you don't smile and the sheepish I just got caught doing something I shouldn't smile, just to name a few.
The kind of smile I'm talking about is a warm, open, inviting smile. Such a smile will make you seem open and approachable.
Okay, so how do you go about making friends with a particular person?
A few years ago, when I was the varsity basketball coach at a local high school, I noticed that a player from the freshman team was especially hard working and enthusiastic. I found out that her name was Brianna. The next time I saw her, I said: "Hi Brianna, nice game last week."
A few days later, I was approached by her mom. She told me that Brianna had been floating on air all week because "the varsity coach knows my name!"
This year, I noticed that one of my new third grade students was always standing at the back of the class and never said anything to anyone. She didn't smile much either and didn't seem very happy. So, I started to say greet her every morning and every time I saw her in the hallway.
"Hi Maddy," is all I'd say.
Now, Maddy runs out to greet me every morning in P.E. and again at lunch.
Addressing a person you don't know is a simple way of breaking the natural barrier people put up between themselves and strangers. By addressing a stranger by name, you are telling them that you're interested in getting to know them.
So, the easiest way to show another person that you're interested in them is to greet them by name.
Step two: Address people by name (and smile when you do it).
The kind of smile I'm talking about is a warm, open, inviting smile. Such a smile will make you seem open and approachable.
Okay, so how do you go about making friends with a particular person?
A few years ago, when I was the varsity basketball coach at a local high school, I noticed that a player from the freshman team was especially hard working and enthusiastic. I found out that her name was Brianna. The next time I saw her, I said: "Hi Brianna, nice game last week."
A few days later, I was approached by her mom. She told me that Brianna had been floating on air all week because "the varsity coach knows my name!"
This year, I noticed that one of my new third grade students was always standing at the back of the class and never said anything to anyone. She didn't smile much either and didn't seem very happy. So, I started to say greet her every morning and every time I saw her in the hallway.
"Hi Maddy," is all I'd say.
Now, Maddy runs out to greet me every morning in P.E. and again at lunch.
Addressing a person you don't know is a simple way of breaking the natural barrier people put up between themselves and strangers. By addressing a stranger by name, you are telling them that you're interested in getting to know them.
So, the easiest way to show another person that you're interested in them is to greet them by name.
Step two: Address people by name (and smile when you do it).
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Making Friends - Step One
“I know that Lucy Higgins loves me 'cause she hit me with her lunch pail when I kicked her on the knee.”
From the song Go Tell Roger
Ever wonder why some people seem to have lots of friends while others have few? How some people can get along with anyone while others always seem to be left out? How you just like some people even though they aren’t really close?
I recently had a meeting with a parent who was concerned about her child’s lack of friends. As we talked, I thought about what I’d seen of her child on the playground and realized why s/he didn’t have any friends. It’s because this kid doesn’t know how to make them.
Making friends takes skills. Social skills. Social skills that can be learned, but, unlike math skills or science skills, must come from the heart, not the head.
Making friends can be, for some, a puzzling topic. Many books have been written on the subject. One, “How to Talk to Girls” was written by a 9 year old boy.
Another, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” has been in print for over 70 years.
I once was required to read “How to Win Friends and Influence People” for a job I had. It has a lot of good stuff in it, but none of it is magic. Rather, it provides a lot of common sense advice on how to make and keep friends. Anyone can learn and practice the skills in the book. The book was written for adults in business, but as I think about it and thumb through it now, I realize that kids can really use the advice written in it. Practice the principles in the book and you will, indeed, win friends.
So how does one go about making friends? I'll be posting a series of posts on the subject. This is the first.
The first thing one should do when trying to make friends is to be, well, friendly and approachable. The easiest way to do that is to smile.
I can remember the first time I met, when she was in 3rd grade, a girl who is now in 5th. She never said much because she hung out with her 5th grade sister. But she always had this dazzling smile on her face. This made her seem approachable. I know that her smile made me want to get to know her.
When I was in elementary school, my brother had more friends than me. That's because while I was trying to be "cool", my brother had a smile for everyone. In fact, his nickname was "Smiley".
So, step one: Smile!
"The shortest distance between two people is a smile." ~Author Unknown
"The world is like a mirror, you see? Smile, and your friends smile back." –Japanese Zen saying
From the song Go Tell Roger
Ever wonder why some people seem to have lots of friends while others have few? How some people can get along with anyone while others always seem to be left out? How you just like some people even though they aren’t really close?
I recently had a meeting with a parent who was concerned about her child’s lack of friends. As we talked, I thought about what I’d seen of her child on the playground and realized why s/he didn’t have any friends. It’s because this kid doesn’t know how to make them.
Making friends takes skills. Social skills. Social skills that can be learned, but, unlike math skills or science skills, must come from the heart, not the head.
Making friends can be, for some, a puzzling topic. Many books have been written on the subject. One, “How to Talk to Girls” was written by a 9 year old boy.
Another, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” has been in print for over 70 years.
I once was required to read “How to Win Friends and Influence People” for a job I had. It has a lot of good stuff in it, but none of it is magic. Rather, it provides a lot of common sense advice on how to make and keep friends. Anyone can learn and practice the skills in the book. The book was written for adults in business, but as I think about it and thumb through it now, I realize that kids can really use the advice written in it. Practice the principles in the book and you will, indeed, win friends.
So how does one go about making friends? I'll be posting a series of posts on the subject. This is the first.
The first thing one should do when trying to make friends is to be, well, friendly and approachable. The easiest way to do that is to smile.
I can remember the first time I met, when she was in 3rd grade, a girl who is now in 5th. She never said much because she hung out with her 5th grade sister. But she always had this dazzling smile on her face. This made her seem approachable. I know that her smile made me want to get to know her.
When I was in elementary school, my brother had more friends than me. That's because while I was trying to be "cool", my brother had a smile for everyone. In fact, his nickname was "Smiley".
So, step one: Smile!
"The shortest distance between two people is a smile." ~Author Unknown
"The world is like a mirror, you see? Smile, and your friends smile back." –Japanese Zen saying
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