Vanessa Van Edwards: Stop Overthinking Every Social Interaction! (Use THESE Cues to Be Liked, Respected, and Build Confidence in Every Conversation)

Do you feel like you go unnoticed or underappreciated in your personal or professional life? According to Vanessa Van Edwards in Cues, this could be because you lack charisma—the quality that makes others pay attention to you. Without charisma, you can’t communicate or connect with others efficiently, which can hold you back in life. The good news is that even if charisma doesn’t come naturally to you, you can learn to convey charisma by adopting charismatic cues.

In our guide, we’ll explore Van Edwards’s definition of charisma and explain how verbal and nonverbal cues reinforce or undermine your charisma. Then, we’ll discuss which cues you should adopt or avoid to project a charismatic image. In our commentary, we’ll explain why head tilts are cuter in dogs than in humans and why steepling your fingers can make you seem like a diabolical mastermind. We’ll also explore social and scientific perspectives on charisma and discuss how marginalized people, people with communication disorders, and actors can use cues to their professional advantage.

People who are comfortable in social situations have the best chance of establishing beneficial relationships and creating opportunities for personal and professional success. Unfortunately, many people struggle with social situations and don’t know how to confidently approach and talk to others. Their discomfort prevents them from creating new connections and they miss out on enjoying opportunities that spring from social and professional relationships.

In How to Talk to Anyone, Leil Lowndes presents practical techniques to help you overcome social discomfort and confidently develop new connections. Our guide walks you through her techniques for mastering the art of conversing with anyone. You’ll come away knowing how to appear more likable without saying a word, confidently approach people you want to talk to, feel at home in any social context, and encourage meaningful conversations.We’ll also expand on Lowndes’s techniques with psychological research, additional insights, and practical methods from other communication specialists and self-help practitioners.

Does the idea of attending a wedding solo or standing in a room full of strangers make you cringe? If so, best-selling author Vanessa Van Edwards has a message for you: You got this! In Captivate, she provides strategies to help you become a social superstar. Van Edwards argues that by taking control of social situations and presenting your best self, you can dazzle the people you want to know and forge meaningful relationships.

A self-proclaimed “recovering awkward person,” TEDx Talk presenter, and blogger on how to master interpersonal skills, Van Edwards has drawn on the research of social psychologists and counselors to develop strategies to make yourself magnetic, bring out the best in other people, and build strong partnerships and relationships at home and work.

In this guide, we’ll explore Van Edwards’s strategies for establishing connections and deepening your relationships and compare her ideas to that of other relationship and social behavior experts. Along the way, we’ll suggest additional ways to apply Van Edwards’s strategies.

Does the idea of attending a wedding solo or standing in a room full of strangers make you cringe? If so, best-selling author Vanessa Van Edwards has a message for you: You got this! In Captivate, she provides strategies to help you become a social superstar. Van Edwards argues that by taking control of social situations and presenting your best self, you can dazzle the people you want to know and forge meaningful relationships.

A self-proclaimed “recovering awkward person,” TEDx Talk presenter, and blogger on how to master interpersonal skills, Van Edwards has drawn on the research of social psychologists and counselors to develop strategies to make yourself magnetic, bring out the best in other people, and build strong partnerships and relationships at home and work.

In this guide, we’ll explore Van Edwards’s strategies for establishing connections and deepening your relationships and compare her ideas to that of other relationship and social behavior experts. Along the way, we’ll suggest additional ways to apply Van Edwards’s strategies.

Many of us have met someone who’s a little too vain and loves to show off—people often referred to as “narcissists.” However, despite this common understanding of narcissism as a mildly annoying personality trait, it can also be a severe clinical condition called Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). This type of narcissist—sometimes called a “malignant narcissist”—lacks empathy, has a grandiose sense of self, and often abuses their romantic partners, causing them long-term psychological distress.

In Power, researcher and abuse survivor Shahida Arabi describes the characteristics of malignant narcissists to help people avoid or end relationships with narcissists. She says understanding NPD is crucial because anyone can fall prey to narcissists, who often seem like ideal partners in the early stages.

In this guide, we’ll provide an overview of NPD, describe a narcissist’s signature manipulation strategies, and outline Arabi’s advice for healing after narcissistic abuse. We’ll also provide insight from other experts on how abuse impacts people psychologically and include tips that apply more broadly to navigating relationships and breakups.

You may have heard of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, usually presented as a pyramid, in which he lays out the basic needs people must meet in order to reach their full potential. In Transcend, psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman argues that Maslow’s ideas about this “pyramid” of needs are largely misunderstood, and he provides an updated view that’s more in line with modern science and Maslow’s full body of work.

In this guide, we’ll go over the basics of Maslow’s work, and we’ll examine Kaufman’s updated hierarchy of needs, which he splits into two categories: security and growth. We’ll explore how you can meet your needs and realize your full potential. Then, we’ll explore how you can transcend your personal needs, simultaneously fulfilling them while reaching beyond them. Throughout the guide, we’ll provide a deeper understanding of Kaufman’s ideas by examining the works of other psychologists and critiques of Maslow’s ideas and presenting research from the fields of psychology, sociology, and neuroscience.

Even though we’re all human, most of us don’t understand what drives people (including ourselves) to feel and behave the way we do. In The Laws of Human Nature, author Robert Greene looks at several laws that explain, among other things, why we self-sabotage, behave differently in groups, and want the wrong things.

Armed with the knowledge of these fundamentals of human nature, you can manage toxic people, become more empathetic, make people like you, and control your own nature.

Have you ever wondered what qualities make a person successful? Are you looking for self-improvement strategies that focus on the unique challenges women face in the workplace? In She Thinks Like a Boss, Jemma Roedel defines the qualities of a successful person and offers tips for how to develop those traits in yourself. Though anyone can apply her advice, her aim is to help women break through barriers to become leaders in the business world.

In this guide, we’ll cover three qualities that make you successful in the workforce: strong leadership, skillful communication, and self-confidence. In each section, we’ll discuss the strategies that can help you develop these traits. We’ll also explore how these strategies apply specifically to women in the workplace. In our commentary, we’ll explore the history behind the barriers to success women face at work, as well as some additional tips for applying Roedel’s advice.

Do you feel like you go unnoticed or underappreciated in your personal or professional life? According to Vanessa Van Edwards in Cues, this could be because you lack charisma—the quality that makes others pay attention to you. Without charisma, you can’t communicate or connect with others efficiently, which can hold you back in life. The good news is that even if charisma doesn’t come naturally to you, you can learn to convey charisma by adopting charismatic cues.

In our guide, we’ll explore Van Edwards’s definition of charisma and explain how verbal and nonverbal cues reinforce or undermine your charisma. Then, we’ll discuss which cues you should adopt or avoid to project a charismatic image. In our commentary, we’ll explain why head tilts are cuter in dogs than in humans and why steepling your fingers can make you seem like a diabolical mastermind. We’ll also explore social and scientific perspectives on charisma and discuss how marginalized people, people with communication disorders, and actors can use cues to their professional advantage.

Lean In, by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, explores the professional, personal and societal hurdles holding women back from leadership positions in the workforce. The hurdles include discrimination, family-unfriendly policies, and a lack of help at home. To get more women into leadership positions and make true changes, Sandberg urges women to “lean in” to their careers, taking risks and being ambitious in their professional goals, while demanding more help at home. To do this, women must fight a lack of self-confidence and internalized gender stereotypes to forge fulfilling and rewarding personal and professional lives.