Being curious about people makes you easy to like and hard to fool.

Asking questions does two jobs at once. People warm to anybody who is genuinely interested in them, because it happens so rarely. At the same time, questions are how you find out whether a story holds together, and somebody who is performing will usually come apart two questions in. Curiosity is friendliness and due diligence in the same move.

Pick one person this week and ask three real questions instead of one polite one. Listen to the answers rather than preparing your turn. Notice how differently you read someone afterwards, whether what you learn is good or not.