| How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age Posted: 21 Aug 2021 05:00 PM PDT In 1936, Dale Carnegie published his famous book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. While the world has changed a lot since then, his basic advice still holds true—be friendly, be honest, and show genuine interest in others. Although interactions look a little different in online from the way they do in person, you can still build genuine connections with others by following these same common-sense rules. [Edit]Behave respectfully online. - It's easy to forget that you're talking to real people online. But just like in face-to-face conversations, your words can have a real impact on the person you're talking to—either positive or negative! To make a good impression, follow the same basic social rules that you would in person. For example:[1]
- Avoid insulting people or being rude, even if you don't agree with them.
- Don't ask overly personal questions.
- Steer clear of saying anything that you wouldn't say to somebody face-to-face.
- Use courteous language, like "Please," "Thank you," and "Excuse me."
[Edit]Approach people with a friendly and outgoing attitude. - Don't be afraid to reach out to others! If you encounter someone you like online, whether it's in the comments section of your Instagram feed or on a discussion forum where you like to hang out, don't be shy about saying hello and telling them you appreciate them. Offer a sincere compliment, ask a question, or let them know how much their content means to you.[2]
- For example, you might say something like, "Those cookies you posted look gorgeous! Would you mind sharing the recipe?" or "Thanks so much for sharing your story. It really helped me feel better to realize that someone else out there has had similar experiences to mine!"
- Likewise, if someone reaches out to you, be ready to engage with them in a friendly way. That might mean answering questions, responding to comments, or just saying "Thank you!" if someone gives you a compliment.
- Be cautious about offering constructive criticism unless the other person clearly wants it. Even if your intentions are kind, critiques aren't always welcome.
[Edit]Show genuine interest in other people. - Asking questions is a great way to make a connection. When you strike up a conversation online, don't make it all about you. Invite them to share their knowledge or talk about things that interest them. Break the ice with a friendly question, like, "How did you get interested in knitting?" or "What's your favorite program for making digital art?"[3][4]
- Unless you're doing a video chat, you can't rely on things like friendly smiles and eye contact to show your interest during online conversations. Instead, use your words to show that you care what the other person has to say.
- For instance, you could respond by saying things like, "Oh wow, that's so cool!" or "Thank you for sharing that with me, I learned something new today."
[Edit]Avoid getting into online arguments. - Online arguments seldom end with anyone changing their mind. If somebody says something you don't agree with, stop and think before you engage. Is it really worth trying to correct them or talk them around to your point of view?[5] If so, think about ways to talk to them about it in a friendly, respectful way instead of being confrontational and argumentative.
- For instance, if somebody says something you think is false, you might say, "I've heard that, too, but I'm not sure it's true. Check out this article I found, it really presents the evidence in a clear and interesting way."
- Resist the temptation to engage with trolls and online bullies. You're not obligated to talk to people who are intentionally rude or disrespectful.[6]
[Edit]Approach others from a position of common ground. - Look for things you agree on before trying to change someone's mind. If you're trying to influence someone to adopt a new idea or viewpoint, don't start with a confrontation. Instead, start with the attitude that you're in this together.[7] From there, it will be much easier to explore perspectives that they might be less comfortable with.[8]
- For instance, if you want to convince someone to try out more plant-based foods, don't start by telling them they shouldn't eat meat. Instead, try something like, "Oh yeah, I used to really love beef burgers, too! I just wish they were healthier. I had to do a lot of searching, but I finally found these amazing soy patties that taste even better to me."
[Edit]Own up to your mistakes. - If you mess up, don't try to delete the evidence. Instead, admit what happened and offer a sincere apology. Assure others that you'll do your best not to repeat your mistake in the future.[9][10]
- For instance, if you get into an argument online and insult someone in the heat of the moment, say something like, "Hey, I was out of line there. I'm sorry I said those things. Next time, I'll just step away from the keyboard for a bit and cool off if I feel myself getting that worked up."
[Edit]Present yourself in an honest way. - But be careful not to overshare. Being honest is a good way to build genuine connections with others. If you pretend to be someone else online, the truth is likely to come out eventually—and then it will be much harder for people to trust you.[11] On the other hand, don't give out more information than you're comfortable with. Be safe and use common sense.[12]
- For instance, if you're a lifestyle blogger, don't fall into the trap of trying to make your life look picture perfect all the time! Address some of the challenges and daily struggles you face, too. You'll be much more relatable to your readers that way.
- On the other hand, avoid sharing personal information that could put you at risk, such as your home address or the name and location of your workplace. Even if it doesn't seem risky, don't share things that make you uncomfortable for whatever reason.[13]
- Depending on what kind of content you're putting out there, you might want to use an online pseudonym instead of your real name.
[Edit]Let your unique personality shine. - This will help you connect with people who really "get" you. Don't be afraid to share your unique perspectives or talk about the things that really interest you. No matter how obscure your interests are, or how different your experiences feel from everyone else's, there's bound to be someone out there who will understand and be happy to engage! Share content and ideas that you genuinely care about and find interesting.[14]
- Studies show that people who are able to be their "true selves" on the internet tend to form closer relationships with others in online settings.[15]
[Edit]Choose online platforms that work with your strengths. - You don't have to sign up for every social media app that comes along. Instead, focus on ones that let you engage with people in ways you feel comfortable with. This way, you'll have a much easier time focusing on building genuine connections.[16]
- For instance, if you're an artist or photographer, a platform like Instagram might be ideal for you. On the other hand, if you enjoy a lot of conversation, you'd likely prefer something like Reddit.
[Edit]Join communities that focus on things you care about. - You'll meet more friends if you seek out people who share your interests. Really into knitting? Consider joining a discussion board for other yarn enthusiasts. If you're a gamer, hop onto a discord server where you can chat with other people about your favorite games. It's much easier to make connections when you already have a lot in common![17]
[Edit]Create interesting content. - To be an influencer, you'll need to send a message people are interested in. Whether you're teaching the world to cook or sharing your love of Star Trek, you'll make the biggest splash online if you share content that you're knowledgeable and passionate about. But it's also important to know your audience! Experiment around to find your niche in the online world and get a sense of what people are interested in.[18]
- For example, if you're starting a pet care blog, take a look at other blogs about pets or animals first to get a sense of what works and what doesn't. Try to figure out what's missing from the competition's content and consider whether you could fill that gap.
- Once you start putting out content, be consistent about it! Post regularly, and pay close attention to how your audience responds so that you can keep improving your work.
[Edit]Lead by example. - You'll be far more influential if you put your words into action. This could be as simple as demonstrating a recipe you're writing about or as complicated as documenting your experiments with living off the grid. Whatever you're doing, make an effort to show that your ideas really work![19]
- In addition to putting your own ideas into practice, let your followers know how they can, as well. For instance, if you're trying to influence people to donate to a charity, don't just do so yourself—give them a link to the website and detailed instructions on how to give.
- Remember, it's hard to judge tone over the internet. Be clear with your language and avoid using sarcasm, since people can easily misinterpret it.
[Edit]References |
| How to Make Wax Posted: 21 Aug 2021 09:00 AM PDT You can make different kinds of wax at home for a variety of purposes! If you want to skip the salon, you can whip up a simple sugar wax for hair removal in about 10 minutes. You can also render beef fat to create another kind of wax, called tallow, which you can use to make candles, soap, and other beauty products. [Edit]Ingredients [Edit]Sugar Wax for Hair Removal - of water
- of lemon juice
- 1 cup (200 grams) of granulated sugar
[Edit]Sugar Wax Without Lemon Juice - of water
- of apple cider vinegar
- of sugar
[Edit]Tallow Wax for Candles, Soap, and Beauty Products - of grass-fed beef fat (also known as beef suet)
[Edit]Sugar Wax for Hair Removal - Measure out the water, lemon juice, and sugar. You will need of room temperature water, of lemon juice, and 1 cup (200 grams) of white granulated sugar. It's best to use fresh lemon juice, but you don't have to.[1]
- In a pinch, you could also use lime juice!
- Combine the ingredients in a large pot. Pour each ingredient into a large pot, like a soup or stew pot. Whisk them together until they're fully combined. Then, place the pot on your stovetop.[2]
- Heat the mixture for 5-7 minutes over high heat until it begins to boil. Turn the heat to high and let the mixture heat up. You don't need to whisk or stir the mixture during this time, but you should keep an eye on it so that it doesn't boil over or burn.[3]
- Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer it to a glass jar. After bringing the mixture to a boil, it will turn into a deep amber-colored liquid. At this point, you can remove it from the heat and transfer it to a glass jar to cool.[4]
- You should be able to pour it directly from the pot into the glass jar. If you're worried about spillage, you can use a funnel to transfer the wax.
- Be careful working with the hot liquid and be sure to use oven mitts.
- Let the sugar wax cool and thicken before using it on your skin. Check the temperature of the wax frequently. You don't want the wax to cool completely, since it needs to be little warm when you use it, but it should be cool enough to spread on the skin without any discomfort.[5]
- You can test the temperature of the wax by applying a small amount to the inside of your wrist. It should feel warm, but it should not hurt at all.[6] Something close to your body temperature is ideal.
- Always spread the wax on your skin in the direction of hair growth.[7]
[Edit]Sugar Wax Without Lemon Juice - Gather your sugar, water, and apple cider vinegar. Measure out of water, of sugar, and of apple cider vinegar. Use apple cider vinegar as a substitute for lemon juice, as the sugar and vinegar work together to give the substance a more elastic, waxy consistency.[8]
- This recipe calls for organic sugar, but you can use white sugar for a cheaper option.
- Pour all of the ingredients into a pot. Stir them all together before turning on the heat. Turn on the stove to medium heat and bring the substance to a boil.[9]
- This should take about 2 minutes.
- Let it simmer for 25 minutes. Turn down the stove to low heat. Stir the wax with a spoon as it simmers. Depending on your stove, the wax may need a little more time. Keep it on low heat until it is dark brown with a syrupy consistency.[10]
- Test out the consistency by taking a sample with a spoon and running it under cold water to cool it off. Touch it to your fingertips to make sure it has a waxy consistency.[11]
- Transfer your wax into a storage container. Let the wax cool for 10 minutes before pouring it out of the pot. Once it's cooled, pour it into a glass jar or a storage container of your choice.[12]
- Wait until the wax has cooled off to apply it to your skin. Smooth out the wax over your hair and pull in the direction of hair growth to remove the hair.
- Store the rest of the wax in a cool place in your home (it doesn't have to be refrigerated). If it's stored properly, the wax will last about 1 month.[13]
[Edit]Tallow Wax for Candles, Soap, and Beauty Products - Refrigerate of beef fat for an hour until it feels firm. Tallow is usually made from beef suet, which is the fat located around a cow's kidneys. Refrigerate the beef fat for about an hour until it's firm to the touch. You want the consistency to be similar to cold butter.[14]
- The healthiest suet comes from grass-fed cows. You can usually get grass-fed beef suet from a butcher, but it's best to call ahead to make sure. You can also use sheep or lamb suet, but those are much harder to find.[15]
- Cold beef fat is easiest to work with. If you bought yours frozen, pop it in the fridge to defrost it. It usually takes about 24 hours to defrost in the fridge.[16]
- Trim any meat off the fat and cut it into small chunks. You only want to work with the fat, so if you see any meat still attached to the suet, cut it away. Then, cut the fat into small chunks, which makes it easier to process. The exact size of the chunks doesn't matter too much, but chunks will probably be the easiest to run through your food processor or blender.[17]
- Grind the fat in a high-powered blender or food processor for 2 minutes. Place the chunks of fat into your blender or food processor and set it on medium or high speed. Process the fat for about 2 minutes, or until the consistency becomes thick and paste-like.[18]
- You can also ask the butcher to grind the fat for you.
- Put the fat in a pot or slow cooker and heat it on LOW for 5 hours. Stir the fat 1-2 times per hour as it renders to prevent it from burning. If the fat burns, you'll have to toss it and start over! The fat will slowly start to liquefy as it heats up, which is what you want.[19]
- A large slow cooker or stew pot should be the right size for this. Consider using a pot that you will dedicate to tallow-making in the future, since the rendering process will leave behind a waxy residue that is hard to clean off.
- You may want to open up the windows in your kitchen and turn on some fans, since the smell starts to get pretty intense![20]
- Strain the fat through a cheesecloth to remove the impurities. After about 5 hours, the beef fat should be mostly liquid. The liquid is the tallow. Place a cheesecloth over a large bowl and pour the tallow into the cheesecloth to remove the solids and impurities from the liquid. If you don't have cheesecloth, a fine mesh strainer will get the job done.[21]
- Be careful, since the tallow will be extremely hot.
- After straining it, you should be left with a thick, golden liquid.
- Pour the tallow liquid into bowls or wide mouth glass jars. Discard the solids you strained out and transfer the hot liquid into large glass jars or bowls. You could also pour the tallow liquid into baking pans lined with parchment paper, if you prefer. Pour slowly, be careful, and use a funnel if you need to.[22]
- Bowls and baking pans are a great option if you plan to cut your tallow into smaller pieces before storing it.
- Let the tallow cool for about 8 hours and harden completely. Leave the jars open in an area where they won't be disturbed. Cooling and hardening will typically take about 8 hours, so you could just let the tallow sit out overnight. Once the tallow cools, it will be hard to the touch and off-white in color.
- If you need to speed up the cooling process, cool the tallow in the fridge.
- Remove the hardened tallow and store it in air-tight containers. The hardened wax should lift easily. You can keep the tallow whole or cut it into smaller pieces before storing it in an air-tight container to prevent oxidation. You can store the tallow at room temperature, your fridge, or the freezer for about a year.[23]
- If there's any liquid remaining in the bowl, toss it out. Don't pour leftover liquid down the sink. The wax residue can clog the pipes.
- Other types of wax include paraffin wax, soy wax, and polyethylene wax. While these products can be purchased and used for candles or for coating hardwood surfaces, they cannot be made at home.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Sugar Wax for Hair Removal - Whisk
- Spatula
- Large pot
- Air-tight container
[Edit]Tallow Wax for Candles, Soap, and Beauty Products - Knife
- Sturdy pot or slow cooker
- Spoon
- Bowl
- Cheesecloth
- Air-tight container
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Make a Greeting Card Posted: 21 Aug 2021 01:00 AM PDT People always enjoy receiving a handmade greeting card for any occasion. So, why go out to the store and pay up to $10 for a card that won't make the person receiving it as happy as they would be if the card was homemade? You can make a greeting card from scratch or on the computer easily enough, and you might have some fun doing it. [Edit]Making a Basic Greeting Card - Gather your supplies. It's always helpful to have all your supplies laid out in front of your before you begin your project. This way you can stay focused without the interruptions that would otherwise occur as you had to search for new materials.
- Depending on what kind of greeting card you plan to make, you'll need glue, scissors or a paper cutter, paper or blank cards, envelopes, small decorations to put on the card, and a pen or pencil.
- Buy some materials at the store to start off with when making cards. You can also recycle things around the house. Items such as buttons, ribbon, and old belts, all look great when properly attached to cards.
- Take out a blank card, or fold a piece of paper in half. If you decide to use a piece of paper you have plenty of options. You can cut the paper down to a smaller size using a paper cutter, or even cut it into different shapes. Consider using construction paper if you want a tougher material or something more colorful.[1]
- If you plan on cutting your paper with a paper cutter, use a ruler to define the lines before you start cutting. This will make it easier to keep everything straight and even.
- Add decorations to your card.[2] You can have a lot of fun here. You can draw something running throughout the card, like a sea monster or a landscape. You could draw a scene in the daytime on one side, and another scene in the nighttime on the other side. If you know the person you're giving the card to, try to make something that would appeal to them. If you're just trying to make a general card, try to decorate the card in such a way that would match the theme of the greeting.
- For example, if you're making a birthday card maybe you should include cakes and balloons.
- Another option for decorating is to use scrap book materials[3] or other craft items. You can cut out pictures from magazines and glue these into your greeting card.
- Consider the text you want to include. Most greeting cards have generalized text before you get into the personal greeting. You can skip this part if you want, but if you're trying to emulate a greeting card that you would find at a store, you might want to include some sort of greeting. Write something that matches the occasion. For example, you could write "Congratulations on your wedding and your many happy years ahead" for a newly married couple.
- Try decorating your card with letter patterns. Take letters from newspapers or magazines of varying sizes and fonts and paste them around your card in a mix-matched manner.[4] You could even choose to take your greeting from a line of text in a newspaper story.
- Use a distressed look. Buy some patterned paper and cut a piece about the size of your card. Now tear it in half diagonally so that you can see the tear running across the paper. Paste this torn piece of patterned paper on top of your greeting card to give it a unique distressed or vintage look.[5]
- Include personalized text.[6] The best part about a card is that it includes personalized writing. Generally this text wishes the person well and includes more detail. If you're making a greeting card to give to someone else so that they can write in it and give it as a gift, skip this step. Consider putting your signature on the back of the card so that the person it is being given to knows who made it.
- Find an envelope. Place the card in an envelope that fits the size of the card. If you're planning on giving the card away or writing in it immediately, you'll need the envelope eventually.
[Edit]Making a Window Greeting Card - Cut a 4x5" rectangle out of thick double sided paper or cardstock. You can get double sided paper at any craft store. Don't use regular paper, it won't be strong enough to make this kind of greeting card.
- Make an opening. You can make an opening in your paper rectangle by folding the paper in half lengthwise. Now make another fold two inches from the top. Once you've done that, you need to draw a one-inch line from the corner of this fold at a 45 degree angle inward. Cut along that inch line.[7]
- When you unfold the paper, you should be left with an 'X' cut in your original paper. The cut that you make will be going through multiple layers because of your folds to form this 'X'.
- Smooth the fold lines. You should also erase the pencil mark at this time. You want to smooth the fold lines so that the card doesn't look bunched up and unprofessional.
- Fold the pieces of the 'X' cut back. Place the paper on its front side and take each triangle of the 'X' cut and fold it back toward you. There should be four triangle folds that leave you with a square window once you fold them back.[8]
- Once you have folded the flaps back, glue them down.
- Add decorations as you see fit. You can now design an image to put inside the window, put a stamp in there, or anything else. Draw patterns or other elements on the face of the card for added personality.
- Add your greeting. If you want it to be a greeting card, you need to write something on the card that indicates what the event is. Make the theme of the card appropriate for this event. Birthdays, anniversaries, and marriages are all appropriate events for a greeting card.
[Edit]Gluing Beads and Accessories - Find a die cutting machine and other materials. These shaker-like cards are slightly more difficult to make than other cards because you'll have to invest in a die cutting machine.[9] You could also try to cut the shapes out manually but it is much more difficult to make them all exactly the same shape and size.
- Other materials include card stock, a paper cutter, a glue pen, craft glue, acetate, and filler material such as beads and sequins. All of these items can be purchased at a craft store.
- Cut your border shapes. Your shapes should have an empty space on the inside. For example, if you draw a circle, make the center hollow. Use your die cutting machine to cut the border shapes from the cardstock. Make sure they are all exactly the same size – you'll be placing some of the shapes on top of each other.[10]
- Glue your shapes to each other. For example, if you made circles you should put glue on the backside of one circle and then glue another circle to it. Continue to glue pairs of circles together until you have paired all your shapes.
- Cut the front of your card. The front of your card can be as large or small as you'd like, but a standard size is 3.75" width x 5" height.[11] Remember to cut a hole in the card that fits your border shapes – the window should have the same diameter as your border shapes. Place glue around the edges of this window.
- Place clear acetate over the window. The glue will hold down the clear acetate but you should make sure you cut it in the same shape as your border shapes too. The border shapes will sit on top of the acetate while your beads and other accessories will be glued directly on top of it.
- Place your border shapes on the card. Use the craft glue to glue your border shapes over the acetate. They should cover up the edges of the clear acetate but leave the middle of the shape see through.[12]
- Fill in the window and add text. The window is the opening in your border shapes. Use your craft glue to add your beads and sequins to the acetate as you see fit. It will look like they are floating in thin air. Once you've finished the design aspect of the card you can begin to write a greeting.
[Edit]Making Your Greeting Card on the Computer - Choose your software. To make a greeting card on a computer, you'll need design software. The one you choose all depends on your skill level. There are some online card-making sites available that you can use, but most of them are of lower quality than downloadable software.
- Here, we're using Canva. Other software options include PageMaker or InDesign. If you're new to making greeting cards, try user-friendly programs like Art Explosion Greeting Card Factory or Hallmark Card Studio.
- Software like Microsoft Word usually has greeting card templates, which can be helpful.[13] To make a greeting card on a Mac, use Pages.
- If you are wondering how to make a greeting card on an iPhone, try downloading an app like Cardstore Greeting Cards or Ink Cards.[14]
- Choose your layout. If you're using greeting card software, head to the layout menu to pick the one that you want. Pick one that matches the theme and style you're going for so that you don't have to change it too much.[15]
- Most greeting card templates have a set color palette, but you can usually mess around with that by going into the settings.
- If you're designing your greeting card from scratch, set it up so you can print it on one sheet of paper and then fold it in half. The size and the shape is up to you!
- Add some graphics. The great thing about making a greeting card on a computer is that you can include all sorts of graphics! Try searching through clip art on the computer or scrolling through your camera roll to personalize your card. Then, insert the photo and resize it to fit the area you want it to be.[16]
- For instance, you might add balloons to a birthday card, flowers to a card you're sending in the spring, or snowflakes for a card you're sending in the winter.
- If you want the picture to take up the whole card, make it the background.
- Pick out your font. Most computer and phone programs have tons of different fonts to choose from. You could try bubble font to be fun and whimsical, cursive font to be a little more fancy, or plain, easy-to-read font for something simple.Use a large, easy-to-read font for the primary message and a smaller, complementary font for anything else you want to say inside the card.[17]
- Your font can say a lot about your message—for instance, you probably don't want to use a super formal font to send a greeting card to a young child.
- Print your card. You can use printer paper if that's all you have, or you can load your printer with cardstock to make your greeting card a little thicker. Print it out using a color printer so your photos and your text show up together. Fold the card in half, then write your message on the inside before sending it out![18]
- White paper is the easiest paper to use for your greeting card, but you could also mix it up by using some fun colors.
- If you don't have a printer at home, visit a print shop to print out your card for a small fee.
Make your own greeting card using stamped paper. - Take all the time you need! Try to make it look as good as possible.
- Make sure the message written on the inside is well-written and not copied out of a different card. Try to make it unique and personalized.
- Try to keep the colors appropriate for the occasion.
- Use a paper cutter instead of scissors to keep the lines of your card straight and even.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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