100 ways to be more interesting in conversation

Dale Carnegie – “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”

Being interesting in conversation is one of the most important skills you can develop.

It can totally change your life.

Can you attract the girl?

Or make friends with important people?

Or just make friends with everyday people?

Whether it’s networking, socializing, or just everyday interactions, being interesting in conversation can greatly enhance your relationships and opportunities and totally change your life.

Here are 100 practical tips to help you become a more engaging conversationalist:

1. Be Curious

1. Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage others to talk more about their experiences.
2. Follow Up on Details: Show genuine interest by asking for more details.
3. Learn from Everyone You Meet: Everyone has something unique to teach you.

2. Share Unique Experiences

4. Talk About Your Hobbies: Share what you’re passionate about.
5. Describe Places You’ve Visited: Offer insights from your travels.
6. Share Fun Facts: Intrigue your listener with surprising elements of knowledge.

3. Listen Actively

7. Show Empathy: Reflect back what others are feeling.
8. Nod and Maintain Eye Contact: Show you’re engaged and attentive.
9. Repeat Things Back: To show understanding and memory.

4. Be Well-Read

10. Read Widely: Books, magazines, journals to have a reservoir of topics.
11. Discuss Recent Reads: Share interesting insights from your latest book.
12. Recommend Books: Suggest books that your conversation partner might like.

5. Use Humor

13. Tell Funny Stories: Make your conversations light and enjoyable.
14. Share Appropriate Jokes: Humor brings people together.
15. Laugh at Yourself: Showing humility and the ability to laugh at yourself can be very endearing.

6. Show Enthusiasm

16. Be Energetic: Enthusiasm is contagious.
17. Express Passion: Let your passion for your subjects shine through.
18. Use Expressive Gestures: Sometimes, how you say something can be as interesting as what you say.

7. Bring In Multimedia

19. Reference Movies or TV Shows: Connect over shared viewing experiences.
20. Share Music: Talk about music that moves you or them.
21. Discuss Art and Photography: Bring up a recent exhibition or an interesting piece of art.

8. Keep Up with Current Events

22. Talk About the News: But keep it non-controversial unless you know the audience well.
23. Discuss Technological Innovations: Share exciting advances in technology.
24. Bring Up Sports Events: Great way to bond, especially if they are a fan.

9. Personalize Your Talk

25. Share Personal Stories: Make your narratives heartfelt and personal.
26. Be Honest: Authenticity makes you more relatable.
27. Talk About Your Challenges: Overcoming obstacles can be inspiring.

10. Teach and Learn

28. Share a Skill: Teach something small yet interesting.
29. Learn in Public: Let others teach you something.
30. Exchange Expertise: Share your professional insights if relevant.

11. Make Connections

31. Relate to Their Interests: Connect your stories to what interests them.
32. Use Analogies: Help them understand complex ideas through simple comparisons.
33. Introduce Them to Others: Broaden the network by making introductions.

12. Be Culturally Savvy

34. Discuss Cultural Differences: Share interesting customs or traditions.
35. Talk About Languages: Even a few words in another language can be fascinating.
36. Explore World Cuisine: Discuss unusual foods or recipes.

13. Update on Projects

37. Talk About Your Projects: Share what you’re working on.
38. Discuss Future Plans: Talk about what you hope to achieve.
39. Invite Collaboration: See if there are ways to work together on a project.

14. Keep a Sense of Wonder

40. Explore Science and Discoveries: Talk about the wonders of the universe.
41. Philosophical Questions: Engage in “what if” scenarios.
42. Talk About Innovations: Discuss new inventions and their potential impact.

15. Use Visual Aids

43. Show Photos or Videos: When appropriate, share visuals to enhance your stories.
44. Draw Diagrams: If you’re explaining something complex.
45. Bring Objects: Sometimes showing a physical item can spark interest.

16. Include Variety

46. Change Topics Gracefully: Keep the conversation fresh by smoothly transitioning between topics.
47. Mix Serious and Light Topics: Balance the depth with light-heartedness.
48. Vary Your Tone and Pace: Keep your delivery dynamic.

17. Encourage Ideas and Dreams

49. Ask About Aspirations: Encourage people to talk about their dreams.
50. Brainstorm Together: Offer to help them brainstorm ways to achieve their goals.
51. Support Their Ideas: Be encouraging and positive about their ideas.

18. Challenge Your Mindset

52. Open Up to New Ideas: Be willing to change your opinion based on new information.
53. Debate Friendly: Engage in friendly debates that challenge your perspectives.
54. Question Assumptions: Both yours and theirs, in a constructive way.

19. Use Stories Effectively

55. Master the Art of Storytelling: Use narrative techniques to make your stories compelling.
56. Use Suspense: Keep them hanging on your words.
57. Conclude with a Moral or Surprise: Leave them thinking.

20. Be Inclusive

58. Include Everyone in the Conversation: Make sure everyone feels welcome to contribute.
59. Respect Different Opinions: Show appreciation for diverse viewpoints.
60. Avoid Monopolizing the Conversation: Encourage a balanced exchange.

21. Enhance Storytelling

61. Personalize Anecdotes: Adapt stories to be relevant to the listener.
62. Include Unexpected Twists: Keep the audience engaged with surprising turns in stories.
63. Vary Story Length: Mix between longer detailed stories and quick anecdotes.

22. Expand Horizons

64. Discuss Global Issues: Bring awareness to significant global challenges and insights.
65. Explore History: Share lessons from the past that are relevant to current events or personal growth.
66. Delve into Future Scenarios: Discuss potential future developments in technology, society, or politics.

23. Improve Communication Skills

67. Practice Active Listening: Show that you are listening by giving full attention and responding appropriately.
68. Clarify and Summarize: Ensure you understand and are understood by summarizing key points.
69. Adjust Your Language: Tailor your vocabulary and speech clarity to the listener’s comfort level.

24. Encourage Participation

70. Ask for Opinions: Invite others to share their thoughts and feelings.
71. Use Inviting Gestures: Open body language can make others feel more comfortable in contributing.
72. Offer Compliments: Genuine praise can make others feel valued and open up more.

25. Be Observant

73. Comment on Surroundings: Make observations about the environment to spark a conversation.
74. Read Body Language: Adjust your approach based on non-verbal cues.
75. Notice Changes: Acknowledging changes in someone’s appearance or behavior can show attentiveness.

26. Embrace Creativity

76. Suggest Creative Solutions: Offer innovative ideas during discussions.
77. Encourage Creative Expression: Support and celebrate creative efforts in others.
78. Share Artistic Experiences: Discuss personal experiences with art, music, writing, or theater.

27. Connect Emotionally

79. Share Emotional Responses: Express how certain topics or experiences make you feel.
80. Empathize: Show understanding and sympathy for others’ experiences.
81. Discuss Personal Growth: Talk about your emotional or personal development journeys.

28. Utilize Technology

82. Mention Interesting Apps: Share useful or fascinating new apps.
83. Discuss Digital Trends: Talk about social media trends, tech gadgets, or online phenomena.
84. Utilize Social Media Connections: Bring up mutual interests or friends discovered through social media.

29. Keep Learning

85. Mention Courses or Workshops: Talk about what you’ve learned recently.
86. Share Insights from Conferences: Bring new knowledge from events to your conversations.
87. Recommend Resources: Suggest websites, tools, or books that have been helpful or interesting.

30. Foster Respect and Openness

88. Practice Non-Judgmental Listening: Listen without planning to criticize or argue.
89. Show Appreciation for Sharing: Thank people for sharing their thoughts and stories.
90. Avoid Sensitive Topics: Unless you know the audience well, steer clear of potentially divisive topics.

31. Be Dynamic

91. Change Your Speaking Style: Sometimes be more formal, other times more colloquial, based on the setting.
92. Use Pauses Effectively: Strategic pauses in speaking can emphasize points and improve clarity.
93. Modify Pitch and Volume: Adjust your voice to maintain interest and ensure audibility.

32. Showcase Integrity

94. Speak Honestly: Always stick to the truth and avoid exaggeration.
95. Be Consistent: Avoid contradicting yourself or changing opinions without explanation.
96. Admit When You Don’t Know: It’s engaging to be humble and express willingness to learn.

33. Lead and Inspire

97. Motivate Others: Encourage people to pursue their goals and passions.
98. Set an Example: Be a role model in how you handle conversations and relationships.
99. Share Inspirational Stories: Choose stories that ignite motivation and passion.

34. Be Adventurous

100. Try New Topics: Don’t shy away from topics you’re unfamiliar with—explore them together with your conversation partner.

Here are some ideas

To me it’s not about being interesting for conversation sake

But make yourself interesting as a person for your own sake.

Do interesting stuff, and become your best self

Rather than being a geek and trying to be a better conversationist and have a boring life.

But we probably need a bit of both

Powerful Quotes

1. Dale Carnegie – “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
   • Carnegie emphasizes the importance of showing genuine interest in others to foster engaging conversations.
2. Maya Angelou – “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
   • Angelou highlights the emotional impact of conversations, suggesting that making others feel valued and understood is key to memorable interactions.
3. Stephen R. Covey – “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
   • Covey points out a common barrier to interesting conversations: failing to truly listen. Genuine listening can make conversations more engaging and meaningful.
4. Oscar Wilde – “The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself.”
   • Wilde, known for his wit, suggests that sharing knowledge and advice can enrich conversations, making them more valuable for others.
5. Eleanor Roosevelt – “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”
   • Roosevelt’s quote encourages focusing conversations on ideas rather than just events or gossip, which can lead to more stimulating and profound interactions.
6. Larry King – “I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.”
   • As a renowned interviewer, King stresses the importance of listening as a way to learn and make conversations more interesting.
7. Jim Rohn – “If you just communicate, you can get by. But if you communicate skillfully, you can work miracles.”
   • Rohn underscores the power of skilled communication in making conversations transformative and impactful.
8. Theodore Roosevelt – “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
   • This quote from Roosevelt suggests that showing empathy and care in conversations makes your knowledge more impactful and the interaction more engaging.
9. Simon Sinek – “Be the last to speak. I like to listen. Until I’ve heard what everybody else has to say, only then do I feel comfortable opening my mouth.”
   • Sinek advocates for the importance of listening to all perspectives in a conversation before contributing, which can lead to more informed and interesting dialogue.
10. Fran Lebowitz – “The opposite of talking isn’t listening. The opposite of talking is waiting.”
    • Lebowitz humorously points out that simply waiting for one’s turn to speak rather than actively listening can detract from the quality of conversations.