How to Pretend You Like Someone You Hate, According to Professional Actors
While there is no rule that we must like everyone we come across, if it is someone we have to deal with on a semi-regular basis, such as a colleague, relative, or partner of a friend, we should at least be polite. to them. This is so even if we really don’t like them and want to leave the room as soon as they enter it. Unfortunately, pretending to like someone you really hate is exhausting and annoying.
While not exactly the same, professional actors make a career out of pretending to be other people. This means they know a thing or two about how to act a certain way when you feel different. Here are some tips from actors to help you deal with situations where you have to pretend to like (or tolerate) someone you hate.
Pretend they’re someone else
When Kate Chapman, a Broadway regular, can’t stand the person she’s sharing the stage with, she pretends it’s someone else, in particular someone she really likes, she recently told Business Insider . Try this visualization trick the next time you get stuck in a conversation with someone you clearly don’t like. If nothing else, hopefully this will make it go faster.
Ask (relevant) questions
Does this person like to talk about themselves? If so, ask a few relevant questions to help guide you through the interaction, especially if you simultaneously imagine it’s someone else when they answer them. “I’m trying to give this person the impression that I don’t really care about their daily life,” professional actor Gino Dilorio told Insider about this strategy.
Find something you like about them and run with it.
Even if you never volunteer to spend time with a particular person, there’s a good chance you like (or at least appreciate) something about them. It could be their cute dog, a good idea they came up with at a meeting, or a semi-interesting Instagram feed: whatever it is, focusing on it can help you not dwell on everything you don’t like about him.
“I try to find a positive aspect in them that I can focus on,” TV actor Anthony Bradford told Insider . “Sometimes the ones we don’t get along with can be great teachers in terms of patience, focus and communication.”