Title: Be Friendly | Psychology Today
Headings: Be Friendly
Rick Hanson Ph.D.
Be Friendly
Friendliness is a down-to-earth approach that is welcoming and positive.

Content: in truth, most relationships are with friendly acquaintances. Consider your family and friends. What about being more friendly with your lover or mate? Having worked with couples for many years, it's painful to see how often basic friendliness is a casualty in a long-term relationship. Or being more friendly toward parents, siblings - or your own children? Again, it's startling how easily friendliness can be crowded out of our most important relationships by busyness, little irritations and hurts, or weariness from working too hard. But bits of friendliness, sprinkled here and there, can be absolutely transformational in a relationship. Try it and see! article continues after advertisement
Also consider being friendlier toward people you might normally ignore or treat with distance, even coolness. Such as wait staff in restaurants, someone shuttling you to the airport, or - breaking the big taboo - strangers in an elevator.