For most of us, someone with good schooling or a cool profession is impressive but nothing holds a candle to a person who can keep a conversation flowing, be it through eccentric anecdotes, general knowledge or some quirky skill. Even though these are small things compared to one’s education or profession, in the end, it’s these little things that make us remember and appreciate that person. And it’s never too late to further refine your social skills by learning these easy-to-master but unusual skills.
Play the harmonica
Harmonica is one of the easiest instruments to learn. It also goes well with most instruments like guitar or violin. Also, it is small and portable, so you can carry it to a gathering or a picnic without creating too much of a hustle. The best thing is that it only takes a few days to learn the basics of the instrument and within a month or so you can be playing your favorite tune on the harmonica. Being able to play a musical instrument is already a plus point as it helps your social life, keeps you busy and makes you feel satisfied. When learning to play an instrument is this easy, it would be a sin not to try. And once you get the taste of playing a musical instrument by learning the harmonica, you might want to pick up the guitar or give piano a shot too.
Something you hate
Learn a few words from a fancy foreign language
In life, you inevitably come across some people who use big words or vague ideas just to sound smart. Well, you can play them as well by quoting a saying in say French or Russian to let him/her know they aren’t the only ‘snobs’ in town. Always start from basic greetings and numbers and move your way up to quirky or funny phrases that you can use to impress a date or just make an impression when in a crowd. Maybe, after a while, you will finally get a hang of the language in its entirety and be able to call yourself a multi-lingual person. Along with enhancing your brainpower, you are also opening yourself up to a totally new culture and way of living.
Master the moonwalk
What there not to like about a few dancing tricks up your sleeves? You can stun your friends at a disco by showing off your ‘moonwalk’, one of the most famous dance steps of all time. It’s not that difficult to learn and you can start by watching a tutorial on YouTube. You can also learn the ‘Fortnight’ dances like the infamous floss step or pop and lock. All of it is extremely fun to do and you can be the “Michael Jackson” of the group, busting out awesome dance skills that add life to the party.
Get a grip of geography
As children we were all envious of the kid who knew most of the capitals of countries all over the world. They tended to be the adult’s and teacher’s favorite, with all of them telling you to be like them. And as we grow up, we understand the appeal. Knowing exactly where a small country is on the map is something really impressive and it makes you look more knowledgeable. You can do this in your free time and is not difficult at all because all you have to do is look at a globe and learn where the countries are. Be able to identify countries like Turkmenistan, Nauru, Tuvalu, Djibouti (never heard of them, have you?) and then you are ahead of most people in the world.
Identify constellations
This skill comes in handy on a clear night when you are having dinner outdoors. You can impress your date or friends by pointing out a constellation or two. The easiest ones are the Orion, the Big Dipper, and Taurus. To learn how to spot them, go out at night when the sky is clear, take a book on constellations or find information on the internet about identifying the stars beforehand and get to work. You might have a slightly difficult time spotting them at first but once you see it, there is no un-seeing it and it will show up immediately whenever you look up at the night sky.
Get good at storytelling
Some are born with the art of telling stories but most of us are not. Most people tend to repeat themselves or get caught up in boring details while telling a story. But fear not as the art of storytelling, like many other skills, can be learnt. You can read essays or look up videos on YouTube of performances by comedians and try to understand how the fluctuation in voice, right pauses, eye contact, and anecdotes make their monologue so remarkable. You can start your way with Groucho Marx and Woody Allen and move onto more recent comedians like John Mulaney or Bill Hader. This is one skill worth learning. We kid you not.
