Can it be dangerous to say you like someone if you really don’t?

Saying you like them might make you actually like the person.

Via Scientific American:

Saying you are fond of someone might make you actually like that person, according to a study in the October 2011 issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes.

And:

They said they liked people 17 percent more often when they had previously been told to say “likable” compared with when they had said “unlikable.” The study used a method that has been shown to circumvent any conscious memories of which image went with which label; the subjects truly seemed to feel more warmly toward those they called likable.

Join 25K+ readers. Get a free weekly update via email here.