There are certain people you meet and it feels like you can’t take your eyes or attention off them.
It’s not their appearance or any one thing you can define, but there’s just something about them.
If you have a lot of these traits then you’re one of these people.
1) You’re full of infectious passion
The first thing people notice when they meet you is your overall energy.
This is also known as your “vibe” that you’re giving out.
Your body language, eyes and other factors can feed into this perception, but it’s immediate and very hard to change.
That’s because of something psychologists call the primacy effect whereby what we notice first has a higher rank in our brain than what comes after.
This is why your passion for things is what captivates people.
This is the CEO who has a bold vision for the future, the beautiful woman who walks gracefully and has a plan for saving the world, and has the smile of an angel (with a bit of devil in it)…
2) You truly want to make a difference
There’s an entire hashtag industry out there of fake activists and corporate brands trying to convince you they stand for “women” or “the environment” or minority rights.
What the majority of them stand for is money.
But if you’re a person who truly wants to make a difference, you can be sure that this is going to draw people toward you.
The most captivating personalities are those who want to make big changes.
Whether this is changing the way we run financial systems, cleaning up the environment or revolutionizing how we think about love and sex, your interest in being a changemaker draws people to you.
This isn’t only in a purely “positive” or easygoing sense, either.
Revolutionary militant and authoritarian Che Guevara, for example, had a famously charismatic and captivating personality…
Benito Mussolini wasn’t just a man who mumbled and got a few claps from some nearby pasta chefs: he whipped crowds into a frenzy with his speeches and fanatical, blunt-headed personality…
3) You believe in yourself
The next captivating aspect of your personality is belief in yourself.
It’s less common than it sounds like, and many of us rely on the opinions and validation of others to make us feel worthy and attractive.
When you already know your own worth and feel it with your whole being, you don’t need the approval or applause of others.
This draws them to you in a very powerful way, but it has to be for real.
If you secretly still hope they approve of you, then you’re not there yet. You have to get to the stage where you genuinely don’t mind if people dislike you or aren’t attracted to you.
4) You get people laughing
Everybody is drawn to someone who makes them laugh for real.
If this is you, then you can be sure that your personality is captivating people far more than you realize.
If you tell jokes or act in a way that people find funny, they will be innately drawn toward you and want to be friends (or more) with you!
They will think about you and miss you when you’re not around and remember the way you lightened the mood and got everyone laughing.
5) You rally the troops when morale is low
If you have a talent for raising people’s moods when times are bad, this is a very captivating trait.
It’s like being on a ship blown about in a storm when somebody comes along and knows what to do, righting the bow, unfurling the right sails, and getting you back on track.
You are able to step into a situation that’s awful and make it at least slightly less awful.
People love this!
6) You have a musical side
Whether or not you play a musical instrument, having an appreciation and taste for music makes you captivating.
I still remember people from the past who introduced me to amazing music that touched my soul.
The same goes for you:
When you play music or love music and you share that gift with others, they never forget it.
They are captivated by this aspect of your personality and your love of beauty.
They are drawn into that world that you introduce them to and that passion you share with them via different melodies and sounds.
7) You love being different
It’s not always good to be different or inherently good, but in the ways in which you are different it’s great if you embrace that.
People can feel somebody who is secure with themselves and feel a very different energy than somebody who is insecure or feels uncomfortable.
When you embrace the ways in which you’re unique whether or not it’s cool or accepted by others you become a highly fascinating and charismatic person.
Because you own who you are and what you like and you don’t need anybody else to agree with it or like it.
8) You tell engrossing stories
Many of the most captivating people I’ve met were master storytellers.
They knew just the right balance of detail and action to keep you engrossed into random anecdotes and actually caring about the outcome.
If you’re one of these people then you are highly captivating and interesting to others.
They just never know which story you’re going to tell next and you consistently keep the suspense and humor going when you do tell stories.
9) You tell the truth even when it’s ugly
The kind of people who tell the truth even when it’s ugly aren’t always popular but they are always captivating.
If you’re that type then you’re in very fine company indeed:
The comedian who tells a controversial joke that many people agree is true but are too afraid to say…
The artist who produces a revolutionary painting series that challenges the corporate culture of his society despite the museums he shows at being partly funded by that corporate culture…
And so on.
The common denominator:
Fearless authenticity even when it’s not going to get a great reception or could lead to material loss and a drop in popularity.
10) You have a teasing and flirtatious side
Flirting has become something of a lost art.
You can even see this reflected in cinema as well, with erotic and seductive scenes being completely in your face and obvious, accompanied by porn-ified music and so on.
That’s why true teasing and flirting is so different:
You leave a little bit to the imagination, you use your words with subtlety and provocative insinuations instead of just saying explicit things right out…
This is a very captivating quality!
Having a powerful personality
Having a captivating personality gives you a lot of influence and social ability.
People are drawn to you and will give you the benefit of the doubt about what you say and do.
When you’re captivating, you have great potential as a leader and somebody who innovates and changes the world.
Use your gifts wisely!