We live in a noisy world, and the more interesting you are, the more likely it is that you’ll be heard above the noise.
1. Be An Active Person
Lazy people do the minimum to get by at work, they come home and watch TV, and then they go to sleep. The next day they simply repeat these actions. Every day looks pretty much the same.
Could that person possibly have anything interesting to say? No, of course not. Look at the following:
- When a lazy person is asked “What are you up to?”, the answer is “Not much”.
- When a lazy person is asked “What are you reading?”, the answer is “I’m not really into books”.
- When a lazy person is asked “What’s new?”, the answer is “Same old same old.”
An active person, on the other hand, is always doing something. Maybe they’re taking a 30-Day Happiness Challenge, or they’ve joined their Neighborhood Watch. When you ask an active person, “What’s new?”, they always have something to say.
So, if you want to be more interesting, get up off the couch and go do something. By doing lots of things I make sure that when someone asks me what I’m up to, I have lots to say. To be more interesting, be more active.
2. Happy People Are Magnetic, Debbie Downers Are Not
“I talk about health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet.”
After all, people want to be around others who make them feel good about themselves and about the world in general.
Don’t be one of those people who’s always complaining. The last thing you want is for people to take one look as you walk into a room and think, “Oh, no, here comes doom and gloom”. Happy people are much more magnetic–and interesting–than downers.
3. Be Passionate About Something
If you want to be more interesting, be passionate about something. It can be anything:
- Be passionate about saving the planet, or whales, or dolphins, or the bees. Find something worth saving that you can be passionate about.
- Be passionate about your job, career, or business.
- Be passionate about a social issue; domestic violence, bullying, the rights of the mentally disabled, and so on.
I have a British uncle-by-law who is incredibly passionate about Winston Churchill, and about World War II (his library is amazing). Listening to him talk about these subjects is fascinating.
Interesting people have something that they care deeply about. Passionate people are incredibly interesting.
4. Fill Your Brain With Interesting Things
If you want to be interesting, you have to fill your brain with interesting things. Think of it this way: whatever goes into your brain is what will, eventually, come out of your mouth.
When asked how to be a good writer, Ray Bradbury once said you should “stuff yourself full of poems, essays, plays, stories, novels, films, comic strips, magazines, music . . .” That advice can also be applied to being a good conversationalist. That is, to be interesting;
Become well-read, watch classic films, go to museums, subscribe to interesting blogs and podcasts, and listen to great music. The more cultured you become, the more high-quality input you stuff yourself with, and the more knowledge you acquire, the more interesting things you’ll have to say.
5. Let Your Weirdness Shine Through
Most people go to great lengths to edit themselves so that they’ll fit in. They’re petrified that they’re going to say or do something that may come across as being “weird” or out of the ordinary. However, to Be Interesting you should embrace your weirdness.
Do the following:
- Don’t judge others for being weird.
- Stop being afraid to let other people get to know the real you, however strange that may be.
- Instead of being generic, allow yourself to be quirky.
- Break out of the box.
- Share your unique insights.
Plus, think about the following: you’re probably already doing things that other people find weird, and they’re just not telling you. So, you might as well stop pretending that you’re as normal as can be, and let your weirdness hang out. After all, being weird is a wonderful thing. Own it!
6. Be Daring, Bold, and Audacious
One of the characteristics that interesting people share is that they’re risk-takers. That is, they’re daring, bold, and audacious. They do the following:
- They explore–they go places,
- They push on the boundaries of their comfort zone,
- They try new things,
- They play and they have fun,
- They learn to do new things, and are not afraid to be really bad at first,
- They create bucket lists and get to work crossing off the items on their list.
Make yourself interesting by getting yourself to get out there and do interesting things.
7. Ask People About Themselves and Really Listen to Them
Dale Carnegie, author of the perennial best-seller “How To Win Friends and Influence People”, once said: “To be interesting, be interested.”
It doesn’t matter how much you know, there’s no bigger bore than someone who just talks about himself/herself and doesn’t show any interest in the person they’re talking to. But if you show interest in the other person, they’ll love you for it.
After all, people love talking about themselves. In fact, research shows the following:
“Talking about ourselves; whether in a personal conversation or through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, triggers the same sensation of pleasure in the brain as food or money.”
Being an interesting conversationalist is a two-way street. It isn’t just about being a good talker, but also about being a good listener. When you’re talking to someone, be genuinely interested in them. Do the following:
- Be curious about them.
- Operate on the assumption that everyone has something interesting to say.
- Regard everyone as an opportunity to learn.
You can start by asking people about their hobbies, their family, their future travel plans, and so on. Then, make sure that you listen carefully to what they have to say.
8. Learn to Tell A Few Good Jokes
We all love to laugh, and we love being around people who can make us laugh. So, always have a couple of good jokes, funny quotes, or funny sayings up your sleeve. Don’t undersell or oversell your joke, be confident, and make sure you get your timing and rhythm right.
9. Learn to Improvise
Taking an improv class will teach you to think faster and better on your feet, which will allow you to push a lagging conversation forward. Also, it will allow you to build on the ideas of others, embrace the moment, and better connect with others.
10. Cultivate a Beautiful Mind
In his book, “How to Have a Beautiful Mind”, creativity expert Edward de Bono–known mostly for his coining of the term “lateral thinking”–explains that having a beautiful mind means the following:
- You can easily discuss and explore ideas with others.
- To you, a discussion is a genuine attempt to explore an issue, and not a battle of egos.
- You take genuine delight in finding points of agreement with others.
- You can appreciate other points of view and you try to see things from other people’s perspectives.
- When there’s a difference of opinion you can openly explore the basis of the difference.
- You’re good at setting forth different alternatives, possibilities, and ways of looking at the issues being discussed.
- If the person you’re talking to has more information on a topic than you do, you listen attentively and ask questions.
Be more interesting by cultivating a beautiful mind.
In summary, people will think you’re interesting if, during a conversation, you achieve the following:
- You made them feel seen and understood.
- You made them feel interesting.
- You made them think.
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