The 4 Universal Social Gifts

In their book First Impressions (aff link), Ann Demararis and Valerie White (an exceptional read on the subject of making first impressions), they list four universal social gifts that we can give to others at anytime:

Appreciation – showing your gratitude and thanks to people, from yourself or on behalf of others. People like to be appreciated!

Connection – finding where you intersect with someone, this is like saying “I’m like you.” It makes people feel understood and gives them a sense of belonging.

Elevation – people are drawn to those who make them feel uplifted. When you encourage people, challenge them to go on bigger and better, you elevate them.

Enlightenment – we are curious and like to discover new things. Bearing the gift of englightment makes you a stimulating person to be around.

So go forth with these social gifts and give them generously!

Photo courtesy of kevindooley

Archived Comments

• http://dr1665.com Brian Driggs

  Hey Scott.

  Just thought I would pop in to say thank you for sharing all that you do on this site. I’m sure I’m not the only reader who feels like this is where multiple perspectives intersect; where the things we have in common help us get more out of our differences. Also, I hope I’m not the only person who typed out the URL just in case the RSS reader was busted.

  Anyway, I sent an email to one of my regular commenters this afternoon to thank him for helping me see alternate perspectives and it occurred to me, I ought to do drop you a thank you note for doing the same.

  Appreciation, connection, elevation, enlightenment. There you go.

  Now, rogue labs:

  – If this site is a community, what can we do – as a community – while you’re AFK?
  – What do you think about everyone going out, giving these gifts to others, then sharing their experiences?

• http://www.spaceheaterstudios.com/ Houston Internet Marketing

  This is a great post and easy to remember when using social media. These are good tips to remember when interacting with people in “real life” as well! Sometimes I feel like I have nothing to say or can’t relate to someone. These tips, however, could really help me when I face these situations.