In well-meaning attempts to boost our confidence ahead of challenging moments, people often try to draw our attention to our strengths: our intelligence, our competence, our experience.But this can –...

It’s sometimes assumed that talking too much about ourselves is rude; and asking questions of others is polite and charming. But the distinction is not quite so simple.

To boost our confidence ahead of challenging moments, well-meaning people often try to draw our attention to our good sides: our intelligence, our competence, our strength.

There is a particularly poignant way to be a social disaster, through over-friendliness: a pattern of behaviour driven by the very best of motives which ends up feeling as irritating...

We tend to operate with the view that the best way to please people is not to bother them too much.