Self | Psychology
The Art of Enjoying People with a Positive Affective Presence
Disarm people’s insecurities and use emotional contagion to better someone’s day.
Two elevator doors opened and I stepped inside, fighting off the urge to curl up on the ground and take a nap. It was another day as a freshman apology student, prone to sporadic partying and impulsivity, but occasionally turning in a decent paper in the nick of time.
I was bound for the 4th floor but on the second, the door opened and Professor Kaplan walked in. He was a portly man with a friendly face, wearing a grey coat, jeans, and glasses — the unofficial professor uniform in those days. I’d heard about him. He was one of the best professors in the country, a former Harvard lecturer our school lured in with a huge salary package.
As the door closed, I turned and said, “Greetings professor! I believe I am attending your lecture today.” Holding his stack of notebooks, he turned, smiled, and said, “My condolences.” And then he proceeded to give one of the best lectures I’ve ever attended. Which made his humility in that elevator so much more memorable and endearing.
Despite his esteemed career and gigawatt brain, he never came off as condescending, and made students feel…
