How To Become and Stay Interesting

Have you ever met someone who can only seems to talk about one thing? Whether it’s sports, eBay, homeschooling, or whatever, the conversation always comes back to their one thing. And unless you are interested in their one thing, the conversation can become, well, a little tiresome.

Years ago, the advice to young housewives was to “stay interested” in a variety of subjects so that you can talk intelligently with others, most importantly your own husband. Although this advice sounds dated now, being and remaining well- rounded can only help you. 

Sometimes it’s easy to get comfortable. Comfortable with what we know, who we talk to, and what we talk about. It can make us a little dull. Those who are interested and knowledgeable in a wide variety of subjects are my favorite people to talk with because mutual learning takes place.

Some ways to keep your edge:

1. Be widely read. That should be a no-brainer, yet there are people who don’t like to read. If you can’t bring yourself to read, listen to audio books. It helps you see other points of view and gives you sympathy for the experiences of others.  If you have young children and time is at a premium, read articles on subjects you want to be more informed about, not books. Something is better than nothing.

2. Stay informed with the news to some degree. You should at least recognize the names and positions of our nations leaders whether you like politics or not.

3. Visit the library to research a new topic, don’t just Google it. Google is dumbing us down by giving us over-access to information without us ever really grasping it. For those of you who homeschool, it’s like giving your kids the “textbook” equivalent to information rather than giving them the living book experience. One gives you snippets of information, while living books help you really KNOW a topic, not just know about it.

Choose something you are interested in and take out a stack of books on the topic: photography, interior design, art, or gardening. If you are clueless like I am about how plumbing, Dubai or how electricity works, check out books that give you general knowledge.

4. Plan to talk to local experts. I think this goes without saying, but just because someone likes a topic does not make them an expert. (Case in point: blogs. Enough said!) Experience brings expertise, not just interest.

My grandfather fought in WW2 and is passionate about it. He is my go to person when I need to know about this topic. My father when it comes to agriculture. An older man in our church, George, when it comes to gardening. I have a go to person for politics, theology, house care, cooking, homeschooling, counseling women, etc…

5. Enjoy life and nature. The smartest people I know were farmers. I don’t know if it was all the time they had alone with their own thoughts, or if fresh air breeds genius, but these people win in the common sense department. Taking in knowledge does not make you smart. Processing and forming relationships with the knowledge is what educates a person. Sometimes enjoying life and time with your own thoughts spawns creativity and curiosity. It gives you time to problem solve and You need quiet time to cultivate thoughts–time away from incoming information. (THAT is why children need long periods of time outdoors in nature…but that is for another post!)

6. Really listen when others speak, instead of doing all the talking. Surrounding yourselves with people more knowledgeable than you are and then listening is a great way to learn and stay informed.

What would you add? How do you find ways to stretch yourself?