You might think of these folk as having people skills, but what they truly possess is social intelligence.

The theory of social intelligence was first brought to the forefront by American psychologist Edward Thorndike in 1920.

No one is born socially intelligent.

Group of people socializing at a cocktail party

Thomas Barwick / Stone / Getty Images

Instead, it involves a set of skills that an individual learns over time.

Luckily, certain strategies can help a person build social skills.

Pay attention to what people are doing well and the mistakes you want to avoid.

Afterward, think about what you want to do differently in the next social situation you enter.

Get proactive about improving your skills.

And remember, that you’re going to mess up sometimes.

Learn from your failures as well as your successes.

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