How To Be More Interesting

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Psst, lean in a little closer to your screen. Are you alone? Can I share a secret? Okay, pinky swear that you will not tell anyone. . .

Good. Here is the deal, I am exceedingly boring. I have had people fall asleep mid-conversation with me at parties. Their eyes slip to half-mast, than the whole flag crashes ceremoniously down. Imagine a grand piano falling from the 16th floor of the Empire State Building. (Why not the roof, you were thinking. I am not that ponderous, jeez!)

When the money mag Forbes put out the blogpost How To Be More Interesting, I knew that the writer specifically had me in mind when she wrote these ten tips. Deep breath. (For me, not you. This is, after all, my dullness we are discussing.)

1. Go exploring: Explore ideas, places, and opinions.

Hmm, is that not what this blog is all about? Exploring? Confessing? Bawling? (Sniff.)

2. Share what you discover: And be generous when you do. . . Let them live vicariously through your adventures.

Which is exactly what I am doing. . . Sharing. Like fungi: without the fun, just the guy.

3. Do something. Anything: Dance. Talk. Build. Network. Play. Help.

One sec. (Standing up. Dancing. Hey, Macarena! Sitting back down.) Done.

4. Embrace your innate weirdness: No one is normal. . . Don’t hide these things—they are what make you interesting.

No way. I am normal. I am so non-unique, that I am unique.

5. Have a cause: If you don’t give a damn about anything, no one will give a damn about you.

A cause? Go Broncos! Er, nevermind. . .

6. Minimize the swagger: Egos get in the way of ideas. If your arrogance is more obvious than your expertise, you are someone other people avoid.

I am someone other people avoid? Says who? Hey, get back here. . .

7. Give it a shot: Try it out. Play around with a new idea. Do something strange.

I think I will. Try something new. Strange even. What about a blog? Naw, too seditious.

8. Hop off the bandwagon: If everyone else is doing it, you’re already late to the party.

Stop this blog?

9. Grow a pair: Bravery is needed to have contrary opinions and to take unexpected paths.

Start another blog?

10. Ignore the scolds: Boring is safe, and you will be told to behave yourself.

Boring is safe. I like safe. Especially in baseball. A bloop single over the 2nd baseman’s head? Safe. I am.

Don’t forget our pinky swear. You bettah never tell anyone what I just shared with you!

7 thoughts on “How To Be More Interesting”

  1. I guess some of us are more easily entertained than others. Speaking of interesting, did you see that it was Navy Seabees that helped rescue the lady and her daughters whose car was dangling from a bridge? Or, how about the Navy Seals 50th birthday?

  2. Hey, let’s Macarena!!!…I try to do that when no one is looking or listening…k

  4. When in the world did Forbes turn into Woman’s Day Magazine? That is the softest “news” story I’ve ever seen. A few things:

    1. I’ve talked to you and you are fascinating.
    2. As I tell my kids, interested people are interesting, meaning that if you have a lively, inquiring mind, you’ll always have something to say.
    3. In a conversation, you can be assured that the other person will find you interesting if you give every indication that you are interested in him.

  5. Kris: I won’t tell anyone. Promise.
    Scott: Good idea. I listen to everything. Except for hardcore hip-hop.
    Book: Awww, you are ruining my blogpost. But thank you!

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