CONVERSATION SKILLS THAT MAKE YOU LOOK SMART
• Be the “You were saying?” person. Let’s say somebody gets cut off during a group conversation. Be the one to bring the person back into the conversation by saying, “You were saying?”
• Be the “Tell me more” person. This is a person that is genuinely asking you follow up questions, trying to get to know you better.
• Be the “We were just saying” person. If someone new comes into the conversation, into the group, be the one to loop that person into the conversation… it makes them feel important.
• Be the “What do you mean by that?” person. This is one to use on someone who’s delivered a passive-aggressive comment. Following up with “What do you mean by that?” will force them to recognize how they spoke. It’s an immediate way to shut down any sort of negative talk.
DO SWEATY MEN TURN WOMEN ON? _ Do sweaty men turn women on? Informal office polls say no, but science tells a different story. Researchers (at the University of California, Berkeley) conducted a study that concluded a few whiffs of androstadienone — a pheromone found in male sweat and perfumes — can raise levels of the hormone cortisol in women. Cortisol is associated with stress, but also arousal and brain activation. The study offered the first direct evidence that humans, like rats and some insects, secrete a scent that affects the physiology of the opposite sex.
THINGS YOU YOUR VALENTINE DOESN’T WANT TO HEAR FRM YOU _ The big, dumb, romantic day is coming. Things your valentine doesn’t want to hear from you:
• Sorry I couldn’t get you anything. The lines at Auto Zone were way too long.
• I know this is only our second date, but it’s never too soon to discuss custody arrangements.
• They were all out of Russell Stover chocolates, but here are some Kurt Russell chocolates.
• They said it’s okay for us to date… as long as we don’t cross state lines.
