--- title: Qualities of the Most Interesting People in the World description: From the woman who literally wrote the book on being interesting. canonical: https://time.com/4227447/qualities-interesting-people-in-common/ author: Jessica Hagy article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-18T16:55:10.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:44:40.494Z og:title: These Are the Qualities the Most Interesting People in the World Have in Common og:description: From the woman who wrote the book on being interesting og:url: https://time.com/4227447/qualities-interesting-people-in-common/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd47104ec34b42c50/69887df2196cf4ec1e03a5c9/interesting-people-habits-light.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4871 og:image:height: 2740 og:image:alt: 463269393 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: These Are the Qualities the Most Interesting People in the World Have in Common twitter:description: From the woman who wrote the book on being interesting twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd47104ec34b42c50/69887df2196cf4ec1e03a5c9/interesting-people-habits-light.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # These Are the Qualities the Most Interesting People in the World Have in Common > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=951d923c-2764-47dd-bfd8-8bfb1bf290c3&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 10 Books Everyone Should Read, According to Successful People [Watch (HLS stream): 10 Books Everyone Should Read, According to Successful People](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Bdu4TTCk.m3u8) (1:07)  _Published 2016-01-27_ by [Jessica Hagy](https://time.com/author/jessica-hagy/) ## Jessica Hagy Feb 18, 2016 4:55 PM UTC  Leader of the Pack Leader of the Pack Getty Images by [Jessica Hagy](https://time.com/author/jessica-hagy/) ## Jessica Hagy Feb 18, 2016 4:55 PM UTC In late 2011, I wrote a short article titled “[How to Be Interesting in 10 Simple Steps](http://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicahagy/2011/11/30/how-to-be-interesting/#2715e4857a0b159a5a364039)_“_ that went viral. I then turned it into [a book with same title](http://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Interesting-Simple-Steps/dp/0761174702/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452881432&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+be+interesting?tag=timecom-20). It’s now in its ninth printing and has been translated into Chinese, Russian, Arabic, French, Spanish, Dutch, Thai and Korean. While I wrote the book, I thought of all the interesting people I’ve ever known and why they’re so compelling, so fascinating and so memorable to me. What is it about some people that makes them unforgettable, that makes me want to invite them to everything, that makes them inspiring? **_Read more:_** [_7 Body Language Tricks That Will Make People Like You_](http://motto.time.com/4216159/body-language-tricks/) Why do some people make lasting impressions while others just make small talk?  The facts are: Interesting people _do_ things. They share what they know, what they’re curious about and what they worry about. They have interests and hobbies and causes and places and people they care about. **_Read more:_** [_14 Reasons You’re Tired All the Time_](http://motto.time.com/4226581/bad-habits-drain-energy-2/) They’ve got quirks and odd habits. They do things other people probably have never even thought about doing. They don’t apologize for their loves and their passions. And they don’t think their favorite things are better than anyone else’s favorite things because they’re too curious to be reflexively judgmental. Interesting people, ironically, listen far more than they talk. They’re not afraid of naysayers or long odds, and they don’t get caught up with trying to be interesting to everyone. There’s a park near my house with a long, stony beach, and there’s a couple that walks that beach every day, holding hands. They smile constantly, even when the weather is dismal. They dress alike: In faded blue jackets and green rain boots, and they even have the same short gray haircuts. **_Read more:_** [_7 Daily Habits That Will Increase Your Mental Strength_](http://motto.time.com/4226415/daily-habit-increase-mental-strength/) And they are clearly the most interesting people in the world to each other. They explore together. They share the experience. They put on their boots, and they hike that beach every day. They don’t do it because it’s a popular activity; they do it because it’s their thing. They put consistent effort into it. And they don’t do it for likes or praise or status. They do it without fear of judgment or ridicule. They do it for fun. They’re not trying to be everything to everyone, but they are everything to someone. They’ve each found someone who thinks that they’re the most interesting person alive—and I’ve never seen either one not smiling. Why wouldn’t they? The whole world is their playground. So get out there. Take the first step. Explore your playground.  _Jessica Hagy is the author of_ [How to Be Interesting in 10 Simple Steps](http://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Interesting-Simple-Steps/dp/0761174702/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452881432&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+be+interesting?tag=timecom-20). ## Transcript [00:00] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4227447/qualities-interesting-people-in-common/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4227447/qualities-interesting-people-in-common/"},"headline":"These Are the Qualities the Most Interesting People in the World Have in Common","datePublished":"2016-02-18T16:55:10.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:44:40.494Z","description":"From the woman who wrote the book on being interesting","url":"https://time.com/4227447/qualities-interesting-people-in-common/","keywords":["motto"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd47104ec34b42c50/69887df2196cf4ec1e03a5c9/interesting-people-habits-light.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jessica Hagy","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/jessica-hagy/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd47104ec34b42c50/69887df2196cf4ec1e03a5c9/interesting-people-habits-light.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"463269393","caption":"Leader of the Pack","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4227447/qualities-interesting-people-in-common/","name":"These Are the Qualities the Most Interesting People in the World Have in Common"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"10 Books Everyone Should Read, According to Successful People","description":"","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Bdu4TTCk/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-01-27T15:44:41.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Bdu4TTCk.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4227447/qualities-interesting-people-in-common/","duration":"PT1M7S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4227447/qualities-interesting-people-in-common/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```