#LRH57: EVERYONE IS IMPORTANT

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Everyone is Important

People like and appreciate you when you make them feel important. People you work with, such as customers or clients, are more cooperative when they believe you have a high opinion of them. Co-workers give you more support when you make them feel important.

Certain people are very sensitive about their importance. They have a self-importance problem and are upset or angered if you treat them with less importance than they feel they deserve. In many cases, the less money, skill or power people have, the greater their need to feel important.

Giving or granting importance to others is a skill you can use to boost goodwill and cooperation. If you can easily make people feel important, they trust you, believe you and like you.

How to Make Others Feel Important

First, realize the amount of importance in this universe is unlimited. In other words, no matter how much importance you give to others, you do not lose any of your own. There is no benefit from making others feel less important than you, but lots to gain by making them equally important to you.

"Asserting one's own importance is about as acceptable as a dead cat at a wedding." -- L. Ron Hubbard

Second, notice everyone. Pay attention to them.

"Ignore people at your peril." -- L. Ron Hubbard

Never assume anyone is unimportant.

For example, salespeople rarely get past receptionists when they treat receptionists like they do not exist. Similarly, if a receptionist ignores someone because he looks like a salesman, she may later discover she is in trouble for treating a VIP poorly.

Contrary to what you may have learned as a teenager, if you ignore people, they do not admire you. Instead of making the person respect or like you, they despise and hate you. Arrogance is not the same as popularity or expertise.

Insincere flattery and baseless praise do not work either. Most people are not that gullible and they regard flatterers as liars.

Two Recommendations

1. Boost your own opinion of yourself. It is hard to like people if you dislike yourself. Do whatever it takes to raise your self confidence.

If you do not like something about yourself, change it or stop criticizing yourself about it. For example, maybe you say "every time I look at my messy desk, I realize I'm a lousy manager." If so, stay late and clean it up.

Maybe you say, "I'm terrified of hurting people; I hate that I'm terrified; I hate that I hate being terrified." In this case, exercise some mental control and change your idea. In other words, knock it off.

2. Convey a high opinion of others in your speech, body language and intentions. Answer every telephone call as if your mother or the governor is calling.

Give people your full attention and really listen to them. Anticipate their needs. Use your best manners. Treat each person you see as an important person even if the person is stupid, has a sour attitude or works for the IRS.

"People have value and are important. Big or small they are important." -- L. Ron Hubbard

With practice, you can even make people feel wonderful by granting them importance with just a glance. Such a skill gives you boundless respect, cooperation and friendship.

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