What good is math?

I guess it comes in handy every now and then but here is my question. Why in the world do they have that as a requirement in curriculum and not classes on people skills or how to build effective relationships, or leadership, or stuff that actually matters? I'm sure math is great and all but till this day I have not needed to use pi or square roots, or polynomials or parabolas or whatever other useless knowledge I gained from it. If they would have just taught me how to motivate people, or how to remember names, or set goals, or anything other than equations and junk, I would have been happy.

Don't get me wrong. School helped me out. I learned about people by being around them, and I learned a lot about life. It was a great way to make friends and gave me great opportunities to study people and how I can bring out the best in them. Since college I've read about 40 some books on how to relate with people or how to be a relatable person.

People aren't too hard to figure out. Maslow's hierarchy of needs gives us a clue as to what the usual person needs. After survival and all those foundational needs, there is a craving in everyone to be accepted. Depending on a person's background, they will have a different set of needs that they need filled, but there are some needs that are universal. There are different qualities that can either attract people to you or repel them from you. I've figured out a few things and I'll jot some of what I've found out (in no particular order).

Remembering people's names and using their name often is key. A person's identity and who they are as a person is all wrapped up in their name. I used to suck at remembering names, but since I've figured out that my passion is people, I wanted to do everything I could to make every person I talked to feel great about themselves.

I can't tell you how many times I've remembered a person's name that I had only met briefly sometimes 6-12 months beforehand. You sometimes have to pick their lower jaw off of the ground from shock. It sends a message to them, that I cared enough about them to not only learn their name but to remember it. After this, I'll use their name every chance I get. It's like music to their ears.

Nicknames are also a plus. I used to work with kids and we would give every kid a nickname. It was so awesome to see how quickly it brought the shy kids out of their shells, and how it helped improve all of the relationships in the group. There was one kid we called "Stinky Feet." He liked his name so much he would speak in 3rd person just so he could use his own name when he talked to others. Adults aren't too different from "Stinky Feet." It's the same reason why people work so hard to be able to be called Dr. So-and-so, or Dr. What's 'er face, and so on. It's a little thing called status. That's why employers can get away with paying people with titles instead of money. Check it out, I am the Sales Support Coordinator! I've been here almost two years, and I still couldn't tell you what I coordinate. If by this they mean filing and sending e-mails and such, then I guess I am a coordinator.

I've found smiling to always be a likeable feature. People are attracted to people who smile. They just want to be around them.

Compliments go a long way. Not trite compliments that everyone uses, but specific compliments that cater to that individual. If you ever notice a girl got a haircut or even a trim, or a layer, or highlights or whatever, I always let them know that I notice. That's the whole stinking reason they got it in the first place; So people like me would notice. If nobody notices, it's about as sucky as nobody remembering your Birthday.

I could go on for hours, but if there is one thing that is the most important, it is that you genuinely care about other people. There's not much you can do if you don't genuninely love others. These aren't manipulation techniques. They are ways to build people up, and to strengthen the bonds that tie us to one another. I have found out that when you genuinely love others and you express it often, they will do anything to get around you, because they know that you'll make them feel good about themselves. As time goes on, there are more and more who crave this attention, and if you give it, you have gained a friend for life.