Remember that no one is special

The flip side of the previous point is that no one--I mean absolutely no one--deserves awe or giggling fandom. There are people who have done great things, made significant amounts of money, achieved fame, broken new intellectual ground, or amassed power. Respect them and recognize what they have done, but remember that they, too, are just people, who have problems and weaknesses, who make blundering errors, and who will die. Some might change the world, perhaps, but more likely at most you face another Ozymandias, as in the poem by Shelley: "Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!" They are not better than you, so respect yourself as well.

Talk by listening

A conversation is a two-way street. The standard advice is to always listen more than you talk. That's not bad, but the problem with any ironclad rule is that the proper application depends on the situation. There will be times when someone wants to hear from you. Just remember, even then, that you help people open up, and keep yourself from potential trouble, by letting someone else talk more than you.

Take interest in the other person

People are stuck on and in themselves. This is a human condition. Even many who would pose as enlightened gurus, or masters of the world, still have human foibles. They get angry, sad, and generally have all the burden of egos that we do. Even if people don't like to talk about themselves, for whatever reason, they perk up when speaking of things that they find of interest or importance. Let someone talk about his or her passions and you will be amazed at how the person opens up, and how you can take interest in what is happening before you, not in some image of who you think someone is.

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