Interesting people are interesting because they feel out their conversational partners to see what sparks their interest. Photo: Impact 360.
Interesting people who can engage with others have huge advantages in the workplace. Travis Bradberry lists some learned habits that can increase your personal magnetism.
Interesting people have a special magnetism. They tell incredible stories and lead unusual lives – but what makes them so captivating?
Curiosity plays an important role. An interesting person is always excited to explore the world, and this energy radiates outward.
Some people are naturally interesting, but there are also ways to learn to be more engaging. Being interesting can help you strengthen your network and lead more effectively.
There are several habits that many interesting people have in common. Sometimes these habits form naturally, but they are more often the result of conscious effort.
Here are eight habits interesting people adopt to make themselves engaging, unusual, and hypnotising.
They are passionate: Jane Goodall, a bona fide interesting person, left her home in the United Kingdom and moved to Tanzania at age 26 to begin studying chimpanzees. It became her life’s work, and she has devoted herself to her cause while inspiring many others to do the same.
Interesting people don’t just have interests; they have passions, and they devote themselves completely to them.
They try new things: Interesting people do what interests them. They know what they want, and they’re brave enough to take steps to get there.
This can mean trying new things. The very act of seeking new experiences also happens to be great for your mood, and people who are happy are magnetic and far more interesting to be around than downers.
They don’t hide their quirks: Interesting people often have unusual preferences that don’t fit the norm.
They’re open and unabashed about who they are, allowing everyone a good look at their interesting tendencies.
Billionaire Warren Buffett, for example, has never been suited to the high-rolling lifestyle. Instead, he still lives in the same modest house he bought in 1958 for $31,500. It might seem quirky, or even strange, for such an incredibly wealthy man to live so frugally, but Buffett doesn’t sacrifice his preferences because of what’s expected of him.
They avoid the bandwagon: Nothing is more boring than following the bandwagon, and interesting people are intent on forging their own paths.
There’s often nothing wrong with what everyone else is doing; it’s just that interesting people are innovators, who break from conformity to pursue new, exciting, and yes, interesting ideas.
They check their egos at the door: An egomaniac is never interesting.
Egomaniacs are always posturing, always worrying about how they’ll appear to others. It’s exhausting and dishonest.
Take Oprah Winfrey — an interesting and interested person. In a speech to graduating students, she said the trick was to learn to check your ego at the door and start checking your gut instead.
“Every right decision I’ve made has come from my gut. Every wrong decision I’ve ever made was a result of me not listening to the greater voice of myself,” she said.
Her advice is important: Listen to your values, goals and ambitions, rather than worrying about what will make you look good.
They’re always learning: To interesting people, the world has infinite possibilities.
This curiosity about the unknown leads to constant learning, fuelled by an ever-burning desire to discover the unknown.
Despite his intelligence and accomplishments, Albert Einstein kept a sense of wonder throughout his life that made him continue to ask questions about the world. Like Einstein, interesting people are in a constant state of wonder.
They share what they discover: The only thing interesting people enjoy as much as learning is sharing their discoveries with others.
Interesting people are interesting because they feel out their conversational partners to see what sparks their interest.
They don’t share to expose all of the interesting things they’ve done; they share for other people to enjoy.
They don’t worry about what others think of them: Nothing is more uninteresting than someone who holds their true self back because they’re afraid other people might not like it.
Instead, interesting people are true to themselves wherever they are, whoever they’re with, and in whatever they’re doing.
Interesting people are authentic to a fault. The famous English author Charles Dickens personified this. No matter where he was working – in a friend’s house or in a hotel – he would bring specific pens and objects and arrange them precisely.
While his behaviour may have seemed strange, he was always true to himself.
It might not always be easy to incorporate these habits into daily life, but that’s what makes the people who do so interesting – they go against the grain, and that’s undeniably interesting.
While I know you’re already interesting, never forget to keep exploring the world and staying true to yourself.
Travis Bradberry is the award-winning co-author of the bestselling book Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and the co-founder of TalentSmart. His books have been translated into 25 languages and are available in more than 150 countries. He can be contacted at TalentSmart.com. This article first appeared on the TalentSmart website.
