3 Ways To Become a More Interesting Person
Life is too short to be boring.
Who wouldn’t want to be more interesting? Everyday life can be a bit of a bore, and it’s easy to fall into a dull routine amidst dull people.
Becoming a more interesting (and, dare I say, happy) person doesn’t take a lot of work. Here are a few relatively easy ways to get started.
Consider this just a start.
Learn a new language
Speaking as an American, I’ve always thought it a shame that we don’t put enough emphasis on the value of learning languages other than English. Even those who grew up in bilingual households rarely learn another language beyond English and whatever their native tongue might be.
There is more to get out of learning a new language than just the language itself. Language is connected to all sorts of things — like culture and history. You can’t learn a language like Japanese or Urdu without also having to have some understanding as to why languages form the way they do. When you study a new language, you discover a whole new perspective on the world that wasn’t part of your original worldview.
How can that not make someone more interesting?
And while it’s cool to be able to discuss the finer details of Kurosawa films, or the works of Rahman Abbas with folks in their most relevant languages, it’s even cooler to realize that the world extends beyond your own language group.
People who live in the world at large are far more interesting than those who never peer beyond the immediate horizon.
Become an art nerd
To quote Calvin of Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson:
“As my artist’s statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore full of deep significance.”
Okay, it’s not a fair quote to attribute to the art world, but it’s amusing and a little thoughtful on its own.
It’s been said that art is a mirror to society. That’s true, to a degree, but it’s also far from the whole picture of what art is.
The absolute definition of art is a question best left for more profound thinkers than myself. What I will suggest, however, is that knowing art immediately broadens how you perceive… well… everything. Whether it’s an intricate Renaissance piece by Signorelli or a bold color assault by Rothko, art impacts the viewer.
Get a group of those viewers together, and you have a crackingly entertaining conversation.
And it’s easy to become an art nerd. Books, the internet, museums, and libraries are all chock full of art to absorb. You don’t have to pick one era of art to become an aficionado of. You can mix and match as it suits you. The more time you spend looking at art, the more the language, themes, and concepts will begin to creep into your consciousness.
Most of all, you learn to appreciate that there are many ways to express oneself and to share ideas without words.
Before long, you’re going to want to make art yourself.
Get a little weird (it’s okay)
It’s okay to make a conscious decision to be a little weird. You’re not a fake. You’re not a poser. You’re finally expressing something about yourself that may fall outside what others around you might consider normal.
And by normal, I mean boring.
Whether it’s dressing in nothing but tweed, or in clothing made before 1950, or it’s purple and orange streaks in your hair, feel free to let your freak flag fly.
The courage it takes to defy convention tells people a lot about you. No… not that you can be dismissed as a weirdo, but that you are confident enough in yourself to engage in some harmless self-expression and experimentation.
Change it up as it suits you. This is as much about self-exploration as it is about self-expression.
When I see a group of people who all look alike, and some people who look… well… different, I automatically gravitate to the different. They are much more likely to be interesting — or at least not boring.
Bonus tip: Get a hat
Hats are cool. No matter your gender, a hat makes a great accessory, and it’s a shame they aren’t as ubiquitous as they once were. I tend to favor fezzes and bowlers. Carriage hats and deerstalkers are neat, also. A fancy floral micro-hat is a great conversation starter, even if it doesn’t do much to keep the rain off.
Even a knit cap is a good start.
Get a hat. It gives you something to tip when greeting people, and it gives you a place to hide a snack or two.
Interesting is easy (and fun)
Being an interesting person isn’t all that hard. All it takes is pushing a little beyond the boundaries you’ve gotten accustomed to. You don’t have to go far to up your interesting-factor a notch.
You’ll meet more interesting people, you’ll have more interesting experiences.
And life, overall, will become more fun.
Ciao!
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