Can You Really Make Someone More Interesting In 10 Steps??? hmm....

After reading Russell Davies "How To Be Interesting" Blog http://www.meet-an-inmate.com/ I was slightly indifferent with respect to how accurate I feel his beliefs are. I can agree with him that is takes two assumptions to attack this goal. That is not to say that there are only these two assumptions but I do agree that they are certainly valid when trying to become a more interesting person:

1. "The way to be interesting is to be interested"

2. "Interesting people are good at sharing."



I think that these statements are valid because if you are only interested in lets say soccer, then it is incorrect to say that you are interested in SPORTS (plural). There is nothing wrong with not loving every sport, but the truth of the matter is soccer is only one sport, and that's that! With that said, you can't be all too interesting of a person if all you EVER have to talk about is soccer.



For example, I am not huge on politics...don't tell anyone...haa haa...

anyway, although I don't have a passionate interest for the topic I do know it is important and I do know that with the upcoming election in November 2008, many people will be talking about it. Unless I want to remain silently sitting in a corner during an innumerous amount of conversations from now until well after the election, I would probably find it in my best interest to every once and a while catch up on issues in politics.



With respect to sharing, I understand how sharing with others will allow them to share with me, which in turn forces me to learn more. If I am acquiring more knowledge about other people, their lives and what they find fun I will be more interesting to others having more to share.



So with respect to these two aspects of the blog, I completely agree with what Davies has to say. It is the ten tasks that he gives us to do monthly or weekly that i just find a little weird. In reality I really only have a problem with the seventh instruction:



"Once a week sit in a coffee-shop or cafe for an hour and listen to other people’s conversations. Take notes. Blog about it. (Carefully)
Take little dips in other people’s lives. Listen to their speech patterns and their concerns. Try and get them down on paper. (Don’t let them see. Try not to get beaten up.) Don’t force it, don’t hop from table to table in search of better eavesdropping, just bask in the conversations that come your way."



My only problem with this intructional tool is that it sounds more like stalking than anything else. I understand that that is not his intention, and I don't mean to act disagreeingly just for the effect but I truly do find it odd. Additionally, I think spending an hour a week listening to other people's conversation is NOT a good utilization of ones time. Listen, I am just as much of a people watching fan as the next person, but I do not agree that listening to the Bloomingdales employee on her lunch break ream out her boyfriend is going to make me more interesting...it will most probably make me feel uncomfortable.



The other aspects of the blog do make sense as means of becoming more interesting. I think keeping a scrapbook is good because when it is finished and you have a chance to look back at it and reflect on the things that you found to be meaningful enough to put in a book, it may trigger new thoughts and your desire to explore new things.

I am also a very big fan of the notion that one should take pictures daily. I purposely only purchase overpriced cell phones for the mere fact that they have cameras in them. I honestly can say that I have well over 100 photos in my phone...yesterday I took a picture of the view that is seen from the Studio Apartment in Tudor City that I am currently trying to sell. I took the picture because it is absolutely gorgeous and makes the 250 sqaure foot apartment worth purcahsing...only problem is...there will be a huge complex of about 50 stories high blocking this by 2014. Having this picture before it is plastered with a high rise is very interesting and worth sharing in my mind.

Overall...aside from the minor stalking that is insinuated in part of the blog, I did like it and found it to be an interesting exercise.

Ways in which I can better immerse myself in the fashion industry would be by going into clothing stores that I would never originally be interested in. This includes looking at styles of clothing for children and older women and men. I think it would be extremely beneficial to see all different styles from the preppy abercrombie look, to the urban IzzyGold, to the sophisticated Diane Von Furstenburg.

After I have obtained a better sense of the styles and looks that are on the scene today...I also think I would profit by taking a closer looks at the fabrics being used. That would give me a better sense of quality compared to price. It will also help me understand what types of fabrics mold well to specific shapes and forms of dress.

After analyzing the contents of fabrics and things of that nature, I think it would be advantageous to constantly read up on articles and happenings in the Fashion Industry. I would most benefit from interviewing owners of companies and employees in the field of the Fashion Industry that I am interested in to obtain a greater knowledge of what it entails...

I am lookin forward to it....