Ask Your Way to Being Liked: 10 Questions That Deepen Connections

Harvard Business School research suggests that asking insightful, open-ended questions—not trying to impress with wit—is key to being likable. Behavioral scientist Alison Wood Brooks outlines ten questions (adapted from Arthur Aron’s 36 questions) designed to prompt others to talk about themselves and feel understood. When you listen, follow up, and invite vulnerability, you trigger reciprocal liking and create more engaging conversations.