50 People Whose Lives Are Never Boring Because Of Hilarious Neighbors (New Pics)

If these pictures, for some reason, still don't inspire you to foster relationships with your members, consider the following: according to psychologist Rick Hanson, Ph.D., who is a Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, when you are friendly to others, you get rewarded yourself.

"Being friendly feels confident and happy, with a positive take on other people, moving toward the world instead of backing away from it. And it encourages others to be less guarded or reactive with you, since you’re answering the ancient question from millions of years of evolution—friend or foe?—with an open hand and heart," Hanson explained.

To warm up your brain’s circuits of friendliness, the psychologist suggests trying one or more of these:

• Recall being with someone who cares about you;
• Remember when someone was friendly to you;
• Bring to mind a time when you were friendly to someone;
• Get a sense of the posture, movements, gestures, and facial expressions of a person you know who is naturally friendly;
• Relax your body into a feeling of friendliness: leaning forward a little, rather than back; softening and opening your chest, face, and eyes; breathing goodwill in and out.

You don't need to worry about something grandiose. Often you can just give a smile, handshake, or nod, and that’s plenty.

"Stretch yourself, but stay within the range of whatever is authentic," Hanson said. "Remember that friendliness is not agreement or approval; it does not mean you have given up on whatever your stances may be in the relationship. Friendliness does not equal friendship; in truth, most relationships are with friendly acquaintances."

It's in everyone's best interest. “Communities work better (students perform better, crime rates are lower, kids are safer, people live longer) when neighbors know one another better,” Robert Putnam, Harvard University Professor and author of Bowling Alone said.