When you are with other people, do you let them get to know the “real you”? Or do you hide yourself from others, always acting stiff and polite?

In some societies, people behave very formally with each other. In those societies, you will be more respected if you are distant and courteous, but you will not be respected or trusted if you act overly friendly with strangers.

If you live in a country where the society is more informal, such as the United States, people will like you better if you are open and friendly instead of being stiff and polite.

In a more informal society, people will like you better if you show your emotional side a bit. That means, you can feel free to show some emotional liveliness in your face, and some open body language.

Here are some tips that can make you more open and friendly when you are meeting other people.

Let your emotions show on your face. Let yourself look happy to meet the person you are talking with.

A face that never shows any emotion, and never smiles is not very appealing. No matter how attractive or how plain a person’s facial features may be, a great smile can make that person look beautiful to others. When you smile at other people, they will assume that you are in a good mood and that you are happy to see them. This will make other people more likely to want to spend time with you and to know you better.

Allowing our face to show emotions can sometimes be an advantage in developing relationships. Other people are constantly trying to read and respond to our body language and facial expressions, often on a subconscious level. They are trying to sense whether we really care about them or not, whether we are concerned with what is going on in their lives.

If you are a person who is very emotionally sensitive, this sensitivity can be an asset in forming relationships. Use your sensitivity to show empathy for other people. Don’t suppress your emotions, trying to be “cool”.

If we repress all our emotions from showing on our face, people will feel frustrated trying to get a sense of who we really are. When we let our emotions show up on our face, sharing in our conversation partner’s joys and sorrows, worries and frustrations, as well as their hope and excitement, both of us feel less alone. Both people will feel more connected to each other.

If you want other people to know the “real you”, allow your emotions come from deep within you, and spread to your face, instead of trying to artificially manufacture facial expressions.

Your smiles and other facial expressions will be more natural and more appealing when you are relaxed, rather than tense. If you get nervous when you are talking with others, you may find it helpful to practice body relaxation techniques until you can easily relax at will. Consciously tell all the muscles in your body to relax, even if you have to give instructions mentally to each part of your body, one section at a time.

When you are with other people, let your mental focus be on enjoying the situation you are in, rather than imagining what others are thinking about you, or worrying what you will say next.

These hints will help you seem more open and natural when you are meeting people from a culture where friendliness is valued.

Author's Bio: 

This article is taken from the new downloadable book by Royane Real titled "Your Guide to Finding Friends, Making Friends and Keeping Friends" available at http://www.royane.com