DEAR ABBY: I'm 26 and not currently in a relationship. I don't have many friends. I'd like to have more, and I try. I wasn't popular in middle and high school, either. I have been in and out of college, so I haven't been able to make friends there. I have worked at my job for three years and it's the same story.

People say I'm "sweet, nice and cheerful," but those traits aren't helping me. I know you've written about this problem before. Can you give me some tips for being someone who others want to be around? -- EAGER IN SOUTH CAROLINA

DEAR EAGER: The keys to being well-liked by both men and women are these: Be kind. Be honest. Be tactful. Don't be afraid of giving someone a compliment if it is deserved.

You do not have to be beautiful (or handsome) to put your best foot forward. Be well-groomed, tastefully dressed and conscious of your posture. (People who stand tall project self-confidence.) Stay informed about current events, but refrain from forcing your opinions on others. Ask them what they think and encourage them to share their opinions.

If you're smarter than most, resist the temptation to be a know-it-all. Good conversationalists are interested in what others have to say rather than filling the air with the sound of their own voices. Cultivate your own interests so you will have things to talk about with others.

My booklet, "How To Be Popular" contains many other tips on how to approach others, and what to say and not to say when trying to make conversation. It can be ordered by sending your name and address, plus a check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price.

Above all, remember that social adeptness isn't something that comes naturally to everyone. It is a skill that needs to be practiced until it becomes second nature. When you receive your booklet, don't read it just once. Keep it on hand for reference because it contains many helpful suggestions about how to be the kind of individual others find interesting and attractive.

DEAR ABBY: I am a man who has been married to my husband for two years. My problem is his brother. He tries to sabotage our marriage every chance he gets -- from making rude comments to propositioning me and sending me nude pics of himself. The other problem is, my husband always takes his brother's side. He knows his brother is dysfunctional but insists I should keep giving him another chance even though, when I have, it never turns out well. What should I do? -- BUGGED IN ARIZONA

DEAR BUGGED: So your brother-in-law has the hots for you, and your husband is in denial. It may take couples counseling to help him see the light. In the meantime, spend as little time around the brother as possible and, when you are forced to be in his company, do not be alone in a room with him.

DEAR ABBY: When my grandchild was born five years ago, my daughter suffered from severe postpartum depression and had to be hospitalized. Her father, who is not in good health, and I lived seven hours away and traveled as often as we could to help out. At one point my son-in-law called and told me she was catatonic and not responding to him. It was terrifying.

Now, these few years later, her husband is pressuring my daughter to have another child. My daughter is understandably afraid, and I'm afraid for her. She thinks her husband has forgotten what they went through. I know it's not my decision to make, but she's my daughter, and I worry about her well-being. She knows how I feel but tells me she feels caught between my feelings and those of her husband. She told me I won't always be around and she will have to deal with his resentment.

I don't understand why he would want my daughter to risk another bout of the PPD she suffered the first time. I don't want to sound critical of him, but he can be very selfish. Fearing for my daughter's life after the birth of her child was one of the most stressful things I've ever experienced. Can you please advise me what to say to my daughter, or should I just keep quiet? -- TRAUMATIZED IN ALABAMA

DEAR TRAUMATIZED: I am sure your daughter is already aware of your opinion. That's why I'm suggesting that, when you talk to her about this, you urge her to consult her doctor regarding another pregnancy and take her cues from someone in the medical community who knows her history.

DEAR ABBY: My father is a narcissist and pathological liar who all his life has taken advantage of people. He fell recently and had to go to the hospital. While he was hospitalized, we discovered he had lied to his landlord about serving in the military among a slew of other deceptions. The landlord is now in the process of evicting him -- not only because of the lies, but also because the hoarding level of filth has damaged the house.

Dad is emotionally abusive and cares nothing about others unless they can help him make money, which has left him with no money and no friends. He has no conscience, no empathy and no consideration for the feelings of others. The last straw was when he demanded my husband and I take him into our house or else he would "kill himself."

Even if we had a good relationship with him, my father is disabled and could never climb the stairs to where the bedrooms are, so it's physically impossible for him to stay with us. After finding a social worker to assist him, I have decided to walk away for good. Am I selfish to disassociate from an absolutely toxic person even if he is family? -- CLEAN BREAK IN NEW JERSEY

DEAR CLEAN BREAK: Consulting a social worker was a good idea. The ball is now in the court of a professional. Leave it there because it IS OK to disassociate from someone who lies, steals glory and uses everyone he encounters. To take him in, even if there wasn't the issue of the stairs, would have been a huge mistake.

DEAR ABBY: I generally have an excellent relationship with my 14-year-old granddaughter. However, she thinks it's funny to tell me outrageous lies with a straight face to see if she can get me to believe them. She laughs when I am unsure of whether she is telling the truth.

Once she told me her family was going to Hawaii for a month (she lives with her father rather than with my daughter, so I'm not privy to his plans). Another time, she jerked her arms around and said she has "tics." When I asked what she was talking about, she announced she had Tourette's syndrome.

Both were untrue. I had epilepsy as a teenager, so I'm especially sensitive about a grandchild developing a neurological condition at the age I was. It felt like a cruel thing for her to do to me, and I was not amused. When I told her I didn't like it, she giggled and said, "Oh, Grandma!"

I had arranged for her to do weekly yard work for me, but now I'm having second thoughts about having her around that often if she's going to purposely upset me like that. I sent a text to her mother telling her about it, but received no response indicating she would talk to her daughter about it or have her apologize. What should I do? -- HUMORLESS IN IOWA

DEAR HUMORLESS: Try this: Tell your granddaughter you have bought tickets to a Taylor Swift or Harry Styles concert and ask if she would like to go with you. Then, when she reacts, start laughing.

DEAR ABBY: I'm a woman in my late 30s. I live in the Midwest, where towns can be conservative, and residents tend to be judgmental. For as long as I can remember, I have always found people of both sexes to be attractive. I don't act on it because I am married to a straight man I love and plan to stay with for as long as he'll have me.

During the last year, I admitted to him that I am bisexual. He said he has wondered, but loves me regardless. Do I need to disclose this information to family? I have no intention of telling my co-workers, as they are mostly female and I don't want to create awkwardness.

I recently bought a T-shirt that says "Why Not Both?" and I would love to wear it. But I'm concerned about being judged or not taken seriously when, and if, I get asked about my shirt. What do you think? Am I making it a bigger deal than it needs to be? If I wear the shirt around family, should I tell them the truth if they ask? -- BI IN INDIANA

DEAR BI: Wear that shirt only when you are ready to come out because, once you put it on, you are sure to be asked about it. Being bisexual does not mean that a person is attracted to every person they encounter. As a married woman, you have made your choice about the gender of your partner and will (presumably) remain faithful. Should you divorce, your next partner may be a woman -- or another man. (Who knows?) I see no reason to disclose your bisexuality to your family unless you are ready to make it common knowledge.