How to be interested

Note: This is the third post in the “How To Be Interesting” series. Read the previous installment here.

Here’s a formula you should know, and this applies to more than simply being interesting or interested.

Beliefs > Action > Experiences

Think of it like this.

Beliefs

Beliefs are future oriented. Yes, you have beliefs now, but generally beliefs are like potential. They have the potential to do something. Or to be more specific, beliefs are potential for action, all action.

If you have a certain belief, whatever it is, it has the potential to affect the way you act. For example, suppose you believe you will never get rich. Will you ever get rich? Apart from God dumping it on you, it’s unlikely. With this belief you will have no motivation to act to become rich.

The belief is what motivates the action.

Action

The action is the now. Now you are taking action. You can’t act in the future or act in the past. Now is all you have for acting.

For example, you decide to call one of your friends. That’s action. It’s what is going on while you are calling your friend. Action is that temporary phenomenon of doing or being in the moment.

Experiences

Experiences are past. You can only have experience once you have passed through action. Someone says, “I’m having an incredible experience.” Yes, that can be true, but the experience is the reflection on something that already happened, even if it happened only a moment ago.

When you are at an amusement park, you might say that you are experiencing the rides. That experience, however, is only a reflection upon an event that already occurred. The event cannot happen at the same time as the experience of that event.

But this is supposed to be about being interested, right? Yes, right. You didn’t get the wrong post.

Why this matters

Understanding the relationship between beliefs, action, and experience is important because interest (as we’re concerned with it) flows in this direction:

Beliefs to action…

“…For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” – Luke 6:45

…Action to experiences

“I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works…” – Psalm 143:5

All together…

~ Beliefs to action to experience ~

From left to right, not the other way around.

If you are going to have interested experiences, you first must have interested action. And to have interested action, you first must have interested beliefs. One must flow from the other.

The potential (the belief) gives rise to the event (the action), which then can be reflected upon (the experience) through conversation and the like.

You don’t necessarily need all three to be interested, but if you want to get to the end of the line at experiences, you need to start at the beginning with beliefs.

That’s how to be interested.

In my next three posts, I’m going to give you some practical examples of how to have interested beliefs, interested action, and interested experiences. Of course, I’ll start with beliefs and work from there.

Serving Suggestions

(1) Think of an interesting experience you’ve had. How did that experience originate in an action you took? How did that action begin with a belief?

(2) Now think of an interesting experience someone else has had. How did their experience originate in an action that person took? How did the action begin with a belief?

Note: Be sure to read the next post or check out the whole series here.