Guideline #4: Become Interested

I forgot that the best way -- and perhaps the most genuine way -- to conjure intimacy relies on a very simple act: become interested in others.

People will find you much, much more interesting if you find them interesting. They will also like you more. Like, for instance, in that famous incident after an English princess got done speaking to both William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli:

"When I left the dining room after sitting next to Mr. Gladstone, I thought
he was the cleverest man in England. But after sitting next to Mr. Disraeli, I
thought I was the cleverest woman in England."

Become interested in other people -- in what they do, how they think, what they say. I recently had a friend of mine tell me that I was one of the few people in his life that he really respected because I always took his opinions and ideas seriously.

Always take people seriously. They will gain awesome respect for you and become invested in what you say.