Let's just get this out of the way...You...are...interesting!
So many videos on this subject of how to be intersting or not boring makes people feel
like they aren't particularly interesting.
The reality is chances are you are interesting, because all of us have individual and unique
perspectives on life and so have something new to share with others.
The thing is, most of us are also taught to conform from a young age and while a level
of social conformity is necessary, we have a habit of taking it too far and fail to show
our personality.
This is when people are often considered boring or bland, it's not that they lack interesting
traits, just they fail to show them!
So here we're going to delve into how to be interesting when engaging with others.
Let's not waste any time and get straight into the tips, starting with...
Share Opinions Let's start off with what we were just discussing,
which is our unique perspective on life is what makes us interesting.
So, the first point of rule to follow is to be willing share your thoughts and opinions
when engaging with others.
Now some will say to be polarizing, but this doesn't necessarily need to be the case in
my personal opinion, and isn't something I'd necessarily recommend on a day to day basis.
The problem with being polarizing is that the intent in being this way is to try push
for an emotional response from people for the sole basis of a reaction.
That isn't to say you shouldn't be willing to discuss polarizing topics, but rather it
makes sense to discuss them when the natural flow of circumstance or conversation touches
on them and to share your opinion because you strongly believe in them, rather than
to incite a reaction for the sake of controversy.
Let me give an example, I'm a fan of the Zack Snyder film Batman v Superman.
It's a polarizing film to say the least and I've numerous debates on the subject.
When I do talk about it and get into debates, it's usually because I'm sharing my opinion
because I truly believe it's an excellent film, not because I have a desire to make
others angry or upset.
That said, if you think it's a bad film...You're Wrong!
The point here is our opinions are interesting because we can offer an insight to others
of how we think or feel in a way they've previously not been able to consider, and that sense
of interest in learning new information or seeing something from a new perspective is
highly intriguing.
This leads us to the next point, you want to...
Create Interest Understanding communication is one of the
most valuable skills you can develop when trying to learn how to be interesting.
It's something that's worth spending a lifetime looking to improve and enhance, and something
that I continuously try to focus on working on in my content.
Think about it this way, a story is only as good as how well it's told.
If a story is told poorly, it's highly unlikely that it will be well received, no matter how
much value there is to be gained.
However, even the worst stories can be incredibly engaging if told effectively.
And this is something I can attest to myself, having once told a story of an experience
I had with a baboon where ultimately nothing actually happened.
However, people still talk and joke to me about the story over 5 years later, because
I built it up to be some wild experience and developed a great deal of suspense.
So how do you garner interest when talking?
Well, first and foremost use pauses to build tension and intrigue, and when appropriate,
build anticipation by delaying the key point.
This is something many great speakers do.
For example, great comedians will often build anticipation in the audience before delivering
the punchline of their best jokes, as doing so captures attention and imagination for
what's about to come.
Where appropriate, don't hesitate to exagerrate points to help make what you say more interesting.
For example, many YouTubers will exaggerate their behaviour when on camera, as doing so
is much more captivating for the audience.
And to add to this, you should try to be inclusive to those you speak to, so it's important to...
Be Personable This is generally one that's easy to do when
talking to an individual, as you talk to them directly.
However, if you have a group dynamic, it's vital to try and be personable when engaging
with them.
This can vary from you just referring to them when talking, or it can be to open up conversation
to try and garner responses from them when speaking.
For example, in the videos I create on this channel, I will almost always talk to you,
the viewer, directly by referring to you when possible, even if I can't see or hear you.
I want you to feel as though this content is for you specifically, as principally, it
is!
However, let's say I enter into a meeting, I will always try and make all people involved
feel inclusive to the meeting.
This will usually be during introductions, but also at points in the meeting, where I'll
specifically seek to get the opinions of each of those involved as we progress.
This helps improve engagement, and higher engagement is going to garner more interest.
However, being personable isn't just about how you speak to people, rather body language
plays a role.
For example, use eye contact to show engagement and interest, both when talking and especially
when listening.
Likewise, some will naturally turn their ear towards another person when listening, again
showing they have an interest in what that indvidual has to share.
Another is to turn towards the person you're speaking to, again physically showing you
have an active interest in them, which in turn will endear you to them making from a
reciprocal relationship where they're interested in you too.
And this last point critically leads us to the next tip, which is...
Be Invested When you speak to people, share your thoughts
and opinions, it's important to show that it's something that's equally of interest
to you, as that enthusiasm is contagious!
If you're telling a story, embrace the roles of the characters in the story.
Part of what made my memorable yet pointless story so captivating in the past was that
when telling it, I relived the moment, showing and sharing my emotions from the experience.
To help hit home the point, you should also use tonal changes and gestures when speaking,
for example changing up your voice when embracing the role of someone else as you speak.
However, make sure that your tone and gestures are appropriate for the situation.
For example, trying to be that life of the party at a funeral isn't likely to end well!
So to reiterate the points, don't be afraid to share your opinion, generate interest with
your communication skills, make it relevant and personal to your audience and finally,
show you're personal investment when talking.
Soon enough, you'll quickly learn that people find you a genuinely interesting character.
After all, as I said at the start, we're all interesting in some way.
I hope you enjoyed this and found it of value.
Which tip do you feel is most valuable to you, let me know in the comments.
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Thanks for watching!