How to convince people you're interesting, according to the psychologist who says he identified the world's most boring person

The beholder sees boredom in the same way that they see beauty. The senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Essex said that.

He was part of a team that identified the most boring person in the world.

The aim was to identify the traits that people are quick to stereotype and how these could affect someone who is labeled as a bore. The world's most boring person lives in a small town and works in data science.

The study gave Van Tilburg an idea of how an "un interesting" person might change their perception.

Frame the way people see you to make them think you're not boring. He said there are a lot of inconsistencies in the stereotypes.

Van Tilburg would fall into the branch of the most exciting occupations if he said he was a scientist. The impression would be different if he said that most of his day was spent analyzing data.

He told Insider that it might be easier to avoid a negative stereotype by using the right terms.

You don't live in a boring suburb but in an up-and-coming community where you enjoy watching movies.

It's a bit more strategic.

Boredom is both positive and negative — it really depends on the context

The last 15 years of Van Tilburg's career have been devoted to researchingboredom. He was looking for a new way to research the psychology behind the meaning of life when he became interested in it.

There is an interest in the idea of being boring because the idea of work has become tied up in the idea of finding purpose and meaning in our lives and careers. It is so trivial that everyone has experienced it.

Van Tilburg believes that boredom is averse feeling that there is something to get on with, but you can't seem to find satisfactory activity.

Wijnand Van Tilburg

It's mildly unpleasant, he added, but trying to think of it as good or bad is not really the right approach because it really depends on the context.

He said that boredom is a "functional experience" that pushes one to explore new things and that a study suggests that boredom can encourage thinking outside the box.

It can be a double-edged sword that encourages risk-taking and can push us to quit our jobs without thinking of the consequences.

People's performance is worse when they are bored, according to research. It is possible that they are more likely to steal things from them.

There is nothing wrong with boredom, in principle, but it can have different effects on people's lives. His research showed that these can be negative.

People who were boring were perceived to be less competent by participants.

Van Tilburg said he wouldn't be surprised if someone who fit the boring stereotype wasn't affected by this.

People make judgements when they first meet someone. He said you don't get the chance to meet someone. It may be difficult to change and challenge any stereotypes that have been formed in the workplace.

Everyone should learn from the study that it's better to meet people you don't know.

People should always question their stereotypes.