There are people who hold your attention almost instantaneously. Then there are those whose very sight is enough to move you in the opposite direction! Few others one gets to know with time – they are typically a bit deeper, don’t open up as much until after you’ve known them for a while. And then it’s either normal, balanced, and open individual or just can of worms!
I’ve given it some thought and this appears to be an illustrative list of traits I seem to find rather attractive –
Common-Sense: A person does not need to be a genius. If they are, that’s well and good. But they certainly need to have a strong foundation in common-sense. This is a very important and necessary trait.
Common sense and general practical knowledge are closely associated and can sometimes be very culture specific. For instance, those living in cities and with decent education, I’d expect them to be aware of – personal finance planning; health-insurance; banking and credit-card usage terms; etc. At a lower level, I’d expect a person with common sense to question ‘relevant’ things; not put metals into plug-sockets; understand why it’s necessary to ensure the fridge door needs to be properly closed and not left ajar; why AC in On state and doors in closed state are generally necessary; Don’t honk like a maniac in traffic; study the traffic around and be sensible in your driving; etc.
Being hygienic, neat, and clean without being a freak is part of common-sense. They know that they shouldn’t be moody and all emotional.
Passion: People are stale zombies if they have no passion, like – reading, writing, photography, music, travelling, painting, electronics and hardware, software and computing, etc. Those without passions just exist and float about in the direction the contemporary current take you in. They don’t quite live. They don’t impress. They are rather insipid.
Passionate people speak from their heart. Their voice has a tone and temper that automatically is endearing. They are comfortable in their knowledge, outlook, and values systems. They find no need to be presumptuous or pompous. They are always eager to learn and know more. Their conversations are a delight.
They share both negative and positives. Their negatives don’t come across and nagging or complaining but rather as educative and learned.
They take joy in their activities and it reflects in their personality. Their eye sparkle and they feel very lively.
Spontaneity: There is charm in being spontaneous. In a measured way, of course. These people don’t expect to follow a written script all the time. They adapt to developing situations and know when to be spontaneous. They are secure enough with their own emotional maturity to be confident they can handle the situation, no matter the outcome.
Knowledgeable: Their grounding in common-sense and passion for various things makes them very knowledgeable – from food to rockets; vegetation to outer-space; they are genuinely passionate and knowledgeable in many, many topics. They’ll have something meaningful to add, no matter what the topic of conversation. If the topic is totally alien to them, they’ll ask questions from the heart – meant to genuinely learn on the subject. They are very ambitious too and never limit themselves.
Sportive: Most interesting people are very sportive too. After all, one must be fairly healthy in mind and body to be witty and open. Essentially, they do take decent care of their health as well. They can also take jokes on themselves and laugh about it without getting too caught up or taking offense. They are adventurous and know how to have a nice time – watching movies (of different genre); going to music shows; camping; travelling; hiking;
Humility: If a person in condescending, he/she will surely be without any relevant social circle. Humility is a trait well appreciated by one and all. Treating others with respect and courteously just comes naturally to them. They are compassionate and possess the traits of empathy. They are very down-to-earth and don’t consider themselves to be centre of universe or entitled in some strange way.
Independent: The person forms their ideas and opinions based on their own knowledge and experience. They are not easily persuaded or dissuaded. They have a keen intellect that processes information objectively to reach their independent conclusions. They have immense self-respect, self-esteem, and sense of propriety which induces in them a good balance of self-confidence and self-doubt. They are absolutely comfortable with their alone time and would much rather keep some alone time to be immersed in their self-examination and introspection.
Reliable: The interesting person is mighty reliable. Their are incredibly hard-working. They almost always keep their commitments. The quality of their work is top notch. They are alien to sloppy work ethics. They are incredibly competent and always look forward to better themselves.
Free of Political & Religious Biases: They understand the frivolousness as well as need of politics and politicians. They understand the positives and negatives of all sides. They don’t waste their time pandering to meaningless debates on which is better political party or what is a better religion etc. They know not to be too rigid in their opinions on some topics. They have genuine respect for difference of opinion and other’s right to express them without feeling constrained, throttled, or belittled.
Free from Immature Games: They have no need or even desire to indulge in cheap popularity or stupid games that people play. They are honest, straightforward, and don’t give two hoots to what others might be speaking behind their back. Revenge is pretty much never on their mind. They are more about ideas than about gossip. They don’t just react whimsically to situations. They are rock solid in their emotional stability.