Quick! Turn up the heat.
Posted on: Tuesday, August 22, 2017 Category: Blog (58)< 1 min read
Is there such a thing as a warm person? Dr John Bargh, a psychologist at Yale, found that this is the case. When we are made to feel warm on the outside, we feel warm on the inside.
He found, in a series of studies, that if you are told that someone is warm, this dramatically changes your impression of them. That being ‘cold and sensitive’ had a very different meaning to being ‘warm and sensitive’.
Just by handing someone a warm beverage, they will like you more. It is that simple. This is because warmth triggers trust. As infants, we stay close to our mothers, for warmth. A roaring fire in the hearth is associated with hospitality.
Additionally, when we are feeling warm, we are more likely to give something to others than when we are feeling cold. Warm is a more altruistic state. We trust people more and become more ‘other’ oriented.
Interestingly we will describe people as ‘warm’ or ‘cold’ and our relationships with others as ‘close’ or ‘growing apart’. Clearly the physical is more connected to our feelings than we sometimes think.
There’s a reason why Sheldon always offer a hot beverage. So next time you meet someone for the first time, warm your hands first!
