I’ve often speculated about what it means to be “popular” and have alot of friends because there are some people out there who make it out to be such a big deal and an incredible talent to become popular and be liked by a large range of people.
However, this is a personal observation that I’ve made and I find that it isn’t really that much of a talent being “popular” and a people’s person. Sure, you do have to have extroverted traits to be liked but I’ve known people who started out awkward (and I mean really awkward, no offense) and reached that status due to the fact that they’ve honed their skills or experimented with various different personality traits, quips, mingled with several crowds, until they have formed their personal identity for themselves. They have practiced through social interaction the ability to develope a certain degree of charisma by assimilating pop culture or mainstream mass values, developing their social skills through repeated practice, and have a sense of what others would deem “appropriate” and “not appropriate”… at the same time, they surround themselves with a niche of people who support a particular image that they create due to similarities. Of course, there are basic criterions to achieve this, which would evidently be good extroverted personality, appropriate grooming, lack of awkwardnesss, a degree of sportsmanship, but also sometimes a self made “player” status.
I would imagine that there is a significant interplay between experience, personality dispositions, assimilation to particular societal image and values, as well as a certain degree of charisma. Just a thought here. Wondering what you think of this. I might be wrong though. lol.