Being “interesting” is essentially one’s ability to “positively” stimulate another person to make oneself seem more attractive and thought-provoking. Interesting individuals are the ones we enjoy spending time with because of their unique persona or engaging conversion manner. Being interesting is a very important characteristic as it creates a foundation for friendship and love.
Being an interesting person is not hereditary but something that is learnt and practiced. It’s a characteristic that you have to regularly work on and develop through experience. Everyone has the ability to become an interesting individual. But being “interesting” does not mean you have to completely change yourself and the way you think to seem more intriguing. You can be interesting by being who you are.
As Barbra Streisand once said,
A human being is only interesting if he’s in contact with himself. I learned you have to trust yourself, be who you are, and do what you want the way you should do it.
Before we Begin…
Becoming a more interesting person is a process that takes time and effort, so don’t expect to instantly change. Like all worthwhile things, you should be ready to put in work in and be ready for a journey into new territory.
These 7 strategies will help you grow into a more interesting and stimulating person:
1. Loosen Up and Be Natural
Just stop, breathe, and relax.
The one reason that many people fail to become interesting, stimulating people is because they tend to worry too much over the small things and don’t come across as natural. Their effort backfires on them because they are just trying too hard.
So try to loosen up and take life one day at a time, one moment at a time. Don’t get tense over small things and always try to remain calm.
2. Be Positive and Optimistic
Interesting people are happy and optimistic people. This is one of the reasons why we find them so interesting. Our spirits rise when we are surrounded by positive individuals and unconsciously we would like to know how and why they are so happy. Just think about it, nobody wants to be around a negative, unhappy person.
Therefore try to look for the positives in your life and always try to see the glass as“half full”, rather than “half-empty”
Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching? – Unknown
3. Be Open to Excitement
The reason why most people aren’t interesting is due to the fact that they are reserved. These “reserved individuals” feel they must hold back in order to protect themselves. Now to some extent, this is true, but taking approach too far is when it becomes a problem. By holding back too much, you limit your potential and miss out on an abyss of opportunities ultimately greatly decreasing your chances of success. On top of all this, you become less interesting.
The more reserved you are, the more static your life becomes and the less interesting you become.
So try to build an open personality and rather than waiting for the excitement to come to you, try to find it!
4. Expand Your Comfort Zone
People who are boring and dull normally possess a very small comfort zone. They are scared to try new things and live their entire lives living in their bubble, never achieving their potential. You should try to constantly expand your comfort zone and dare yourself to try new things; this is the quickest path to becoming more interesting.
The more unique and un-ordinary experiences you have, the more of an interesting person you will become. The opportunities for new experiences are endless, you could even start small and build your way up. Some ideas you can try are:
- Joining a class about something you have never done
- Participating in a sport you haven’t played
- Trying things you might not be as good (for example, public speaking)
Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new. – Brian Tracy
5. Smile and Laugh
Interesting people are able to grab your attention, and nothing in this world grabs a person’s attention more than laughter and happiness. We tend to be attracted to a person’s smile and laugh. You also might have heard the saying, “smiling is contagious“. According to psychologist and author Daniel Goleman, “our minds are built for sociability” and we also tend to mimic the smiling gesture whenever we receive it! (for example when we smile at a stranger and receive a smile in return). 🙂
Also, as I mentioned before, we would rather be around positive and happy people rather than grumpy and angry people. So try to smile and laugh more, you will find that not just will you become more attractive, but you will be doing yourself a favor by reducing your stress levels and increasing the oxygenation of your blood.
6. Challenge Yourself
The only way we can bring change and growth in our lives is by challenging our current habits and behaviors. So push yourself to your limits and challenge yourself to improve.
We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are. – Max DePree
7. Be Yourself
You can not “pretend” to be interesting. Be true to yourself and try to build a genuine image. Incorporate everything you do into your true self.
He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away. – Raymond Hull
