If you have siblings or children of your own, you’ve likely noticed that each of them is unique in personality and temperament. They may have similarities but also characteristics that make them unique as individuals. You may have also noticed (in yourself or in others) that some folks consider themselves a people person while others, not so much. There are several personality traits that you might have if you love being around people, whether it’s friends and family or strangers.
What’s the purpose of analyzing your personality? It’s interesting, for starters. It’s also helpful in various aspects of life, such as choosing a mate or determining a career path. Read on, to learn more about five traits that people who love people often have in common, and see if any of these characteristics sound familiar, either personally or in someone you know!
A people person easily discusses feelings and opinions
When someone asks you how you feel about something, do you cringe? If so, you might not be a particularly social person. On the other hand, if you’re comfortable talking about your personal thoughts, feelings and opinions, you can add a check to the people who love people column. If you’re sociable and love being around others, you probably also have a genuine gift for conversation. You enjoy hearing what others have to say and you’re comfortable saying how you feel, as well.
You have no problem taking on the reins of leadership
Would you rather follow instructions that someone else is giving? Are you comfortable dishing out the orders and delegating tasks to others? Do you find it easy to make decisions on behalf of a group? When there’s a project to complete or problem to solve, does your mind easily kick into to gear with a best course of action? People who thrive on being with others are often comfortable in a leadership role. If you’d rather just get a memo on what needs done but don’t want to stand in front of people talking or giving orders, you might be more of an introvert than a person who eagerly awaits the opportunity to be with other people.
Solitude isn’t one of your priorities
Do you feel a need to get away and be alone when you’re in a room full of people? Maybe there’s only one other person in the room. If you still feel the need for a lot of solitude in life, you might not be someone who loves being with people. If you thrive on being with others, you might only need to be by yourself on occasion. For instance, spending a few hours reading in bed on a weekend might be sufficient “alone time” for you. You can basically consider yourself sociable if, given the choice, you’d rather be with people than be alone, more times than not.
Would you consider yourself a confident person?
It’s not common to meet someone who loves being around others but also lacks confidence. It’s possible. However, when that’s the case, someone who loves being with people usually knows how to overcome a lack of confidence. And, that, in essence, means that he or she is confident, right? If you’re a person who enjoys interacting with people, you’re probably not one to take a back seat on fun. You’re confident to be in the middle of it all, interacting and having a great time, especially at a party. If you only go to social functions out of obligation, you might not be a people person. Do you enter the room, offer polite greetings, then try to find a quiet corner somewhere, until it’s all over? If so, you might be in a different personality category.
Interactions with one person, several people or a group
Another character trait of a person who thrives on being with others is “adaptability.” Do you easily transition from a one-on-one conversation to functioning within a large group? Are you happy either way? People who love people genuinely enjoy the company of their fellowman, whether it’s interacting with one person at a time or 20 people at a party, or even hundreds of strangers at a festival or concert. If you’re a people person, you might have read that and thought: There’s no such thing as strangers, only friends I haven’t met yet.
So, how do you measure up? How many of these personality traits would you use to describe yourself?