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ChangingMinds Blog! > Blog Archive > 19-Jan-07

 


Friday 19-January-07

Standing out and picking up

Last Christmas we went from work to a Comedy Club, where stand-up comedians regaled us with jokes and entertainment as we ate and drank our seasonal fare. I was wearing a red shirt and, perhaps stupidly, sat at the front. The comedians all picked on me, of course, and I was the butt of a number of 'Santa' jokes. I was quite merry, though, and didn't mind.

Wearing bright colours gets you noticed and research by the University of Chicago found that people wearing red were 15 times more likely to be noticed than those in mute colours. This is a good news for people who are looking for romance: go to a bar wearing red and you are more likely to get picked up than if you wear duller colours. The key principle here is contrast, as it depends on others not wearing bright colours. If you went out and everyone was wearing red, then wearing brown might be a better bet.

If you're looking for romance in a crowd, then standing out is the trick, and with a bit of creativity you can find others ways of contrasting yourself. There are limits, however, and going naked, whilst getting you lots of looks might not get you too much desirable attention. Other than clothing, hair and make-up, another more creative approach is to use props. Carry something that can be the source of conversation, from a suitcase to a staff and you can weave it into intriguing conversations.

A classic prop is a guitar. If you can play, then let people ask you about your band and gigs. If you cannot play, say you like to do something different every year and are just starting to learn (this also gives you the virtual props from other years to play with). Dogs are also easy sources of conversation, especially the more aesthetic and cuddly varieties. A guy I know just wears a sailor's hat, largely because he knows that playful women will steal it from him.

More unusual real props that I have heard of people using have included surfboards, swords and teddy-bears. The trick is to take something that causes intrigue, but not fear, ridicule or other undesirable responses. How far you can go depends mainly on your bravado and ability to user and talk interestingly about your prop. Done well, you will stand out and be better able to find new friends.


 

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Site Menu

| Home | Top | Quick Links | Settings |

Main sections: | Disciplines | Techniques | Principles | Explanations | Theories |

Other sections: | Blog! | Quotes | Guest articles | Analysis | Books | Help |

More pages: | Contact | Caveat | About | Students | Webmasters | Awards | Guestbook | Feedback | Sitemap | Changes |

Settings: | Computer layout | Mobile layout | Small font | Medium font | Large font | Translate |

 

 

Please help and share:

 

Quick links

Disciplines

* Argument
* Brand management
* Change Management
* Coaching
* Communication
* Counseling
* Game Design
* Human Resources
* Job-finding
* Leadership
* Marketing
* Politics
* Propaganda
* Rhetoric
* Negotiation
* Psychoanalysis
* Sales
* Sociology
* Storytelling
* Teaching
* Warfare
* Workplace design

Techniques

* Assertiveness
* Body language
* Change techniques
* Closing techniques
* Conversation
* Confidence tricks
* Conversion
* Creative techniques
* General techniques
* Happiness
* Hypnotism
* Interrogation
* Language
* Listening
* Negotiation tactics
* Objection handling
* Propaganda
* Problem-solving
* Public speaking
* Questioning
* Using repetition
* Resisting persuasion
* Self-development
* Sequential requests
* Storytelling
* Stress Management
* Tipping
* Using humor
* Willpower

Principles

+ Principles

Explanations

* Behaviors
* Beliefs
* Brain stuff
* Conditioning
* Coping Mechanisms
* Critical Theory
* Culture
* Decisions
* Emotions
* Evolution
* Gender
* Games
* Groups
* Habit
* Identity
* Learning
* Meaning
* Memory
* Motivation
* Models
* Needs
* Personality
* Power
* Preferences
* Research
* Relationships
* SIFT Model
* Social Research
* Stress
* Trust
* Values

Theories

* Alphabetic list
* Theory types

And

About
Guest Articles
Blog!
Books
Changes
Contact
Guestbook
Quotes
Students
Webmasters

 

| Home | Top | Menu | Quick Links |

© Changing Works 2002-
Massive Content — Maximum Speed