If someone doesn’t like you, ask them a favour!

You have that one colleague or acquaintance who doesn’t like you. He or she disagrees with you about everything. He or she despises you every time. At times you wish you could kill that person. Right?

Relax. There is another way. A simpler way. No, not killing him or her but to kill his or her dislike for you.

Ask him or her to do you a favour!

WTF, you think. Yeah, I heard your mind voice!

It was actually Benjamin Franklin who said it. It was later proved right by behavioural scientists and psychologists.

America’s first major inventor, scientists and philosopher always used this simple technique to win over his political opponents. If he found an adversary he wished to win over, he just asked them a favour.

Once, there was this adversary who hated Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin wanted to win him over. He wrote a letter to him asking him if he could lend him a certain rare book that his adversary had in his possession.

Surprisingly, the adversary complied. He sent the book to Benjamin who promptly returned the book after reading it with a huge thank you note.

Next time when Benjamin and his adversary bumped into each other, the adversary came to Benjamin himself and started talking with great civility. This had never happened before. So much so, they two became good friends!

What happened here?

Psychologists say if you do someone a favour, your mind thinks you must like them. The mind thinks you wouldn’t have agreed to do a favour for someone you dislike. So, your mind tells itself it likes that person. Poof. The dislike vanishes!

If you feel embarrassed asking for a favour from the person who dislikes you, at least ask them for something they can give without incurring any cost – their opinion. Ask them for their opinion about something saying you value it very much. Same result would ensue. The person’s dislike for you will disappear!

It works. So much so, it’s even called The Benjamin Franklin Effect!

P.S: By the way, I know you don’t like me. Yet, I value your opinion a lot. Can you share your opinion about how I can improve my writing please!