You can expand the world around you by becoming “people centric” instead of “me centric”; and you can learn a thing or two about human nature in the process. Most people consistently focus on what is going on in their own lives. They just think about everything from their perspective. They become oblivious to what’s going on in the lives of the people around them. Take time to get to know the people around you. Taking time to understand what is going on with the people you come in contact with everyday, can improve your ability to understand the people around you and in the end better understand yourself.

1. Don’t deal with people generically, deal with them individually. Think about it, no two people are alike. Why are you interacting with the people you do? You choose to interact with one another because of each other’s unique qualities. So treat each person as an individual and deal with each person on an individual specific basis.

2. Take time to read people. Take a moment to assess people. What is their current attitude? What is their emotional state? Think about what might be on their mind. Meet them in their state of mind rather than in yours.

3. Take the time to get to know people. It all starts by listening; and also asking some specific questions about them.

4. If you meet in their office or their house take the time to get to know their surroundings. Get a feel for what they are all about; what are their interests; and what are their tastes. You aren’t snooping you’re showing an interest in what they are putting on public display.

5. Assess what is important to them. Think about what things they want to talk about. Sometimes letting the conversation drift allows the other person to direct the conversation. See where the conversation goes and what topics they choose to discuss.

6. How do they interact with you and others? Take notice of how people interact with others, from clerks to other acquaintances, to coworkers. How people interact with different types of people will tell you a lot about their character.

7. Follow up with the next meeting by showing interest in something you learned about the person from the first meeting. Ask about a vacation they just got back from, an event they attended, or a mutual acquaintance.

8. Don’t be superficial. Your interest in others has to be real. If you don’t interact with others on a real, energetic in depth basis, they will likely stop taking the time and energy to do the same with you.

Moving outside your “me centric” world requires a little time and energy. In the end though, you get to know more about the people around you and yourself as well. Try out some “people centric” behavior, you might learn something new.