Interested

I read something the other day I really like. “you can make more friends in a month by being interested in them than in ten years by trying to get them interested in you.”
Personally I have found that to be so true.  It really does seem to me to be the key to being liked.  It helps that I am naturally interested in people.  But I do find that getting to know someone is easy when I just get them talking about themselves.
It is not that I am manipulative, it is just the way I am, and it works.  I tend to be liked by a cross section of people.  Not because I am particularly interesting, but because I am particularly interested in them.
I read a book a while back entitled “Just Walk Across the Room.”  It was basically encouraging others to abandon comfort zones and make an effort.  It is funny but I tend to have an eye out for those that look like they are a fish out of water.  It does not matter what the setting is I tend to gravitate to those that are new to an environment and will assess the experience on whether others showed any interest in them.
They say first impressions count and also how someone only gets one chance to make a first impression.  I will never forget catching up with someone involved in a sport I played and having a talk with them.  I knew they were upset.  They told me they were not coming back but changed their turn after our chat.
Most people are reasonable and just want a chance to be heard.  More than once I have had it said to me that “I don’t mind what course of action is taken I just want to know that my voice was heard.”
I find it interesting that many bring something to the table that needs to be considered.  Sometimes the thought is useful and sometimes it is not.  I find the way to get the best outcome is a mix of ideas.
But to me being friendly serves a number of purposes.  It makes others comfortable and generally want to come back and I often learn stuff. 
Most people after a while will ask me about me.