20 signs you have a unique personality that might intimidate some people

There are a number of things about you that might make people take a step back. And they aren’t what you might think.

Your unique and strong personality may be intimidating people.

Having an intimidating personality has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with how people perceive you.

It’s important, however, to be aware of how people perceive you so that you can enjoy fulfilling relationships and understand where others are coming from.

You might find that some of these personality traits are qualities you like about yourself, while some might not be.

Either way, it’s good to know where you stand so you can decide how you want the world to see you.

Here are 20 signs your unique and strong personality is intimidating others.

1) You Stick to Your Word

While being someone people can count on should be a good thing, many people are intimidated by the idea that you do what you said you would do.

This often makes others look bad because let’s face it, more often than not, people slack off in certain areas of their life.

2) You are Candid

You say what you mean and mean what you say. You tell it like it is and that doesn’t always sit well with others.

3) You Keep an Opened Mind

People are so closed off sometimes that when someone comes along and calls bullshit on their way of thinking, they don’t like that.

You are open to hearing points of view and arguments for both sides of the story. And that makes people uncomfortable sometimes.

4) You Solve Problems

Rather than sitting around feeling sorry for yourself, you take action and find solutions to your problems. That makes others feel like you are leaving them in your dust.

5) You are Stubborn and Strong Willed

One of the reasons you are such a good problem solver is that you don’t take no for an answer, and if you believe there is an answer to be found, you will find it, no matter what.

This can be exhausting for others to understand and can take up a great deal of your time. Some people will never understand why you can’t let things go.

6) You Loathe Complainers

People who sit around and complain about life instead of getting up and living life aren’t worth your time. You will walk away from people who have nothing better to do than whine about life.

You are out there taking life by the horns, and you know that can be intimidating for some people who are afraid of what might happen if they took the leap of faith you have.

7) You Don’t Support Ignorance

Above all else, you do not tolerate people who are ignorant. Willful ignorance is the worst.

Someone who knows better but chooses to believe the worst things they hear without questioning it for themselves just solidifies their own stupidity. You don’t have time for that, and it makes you an outcast sometimes.

8) You Know Your Stuff

Smart and sassy, strong and resourceful, you can walk into a room and size it up for what it is and can walk the walk while you do it.

You can talk to people from all walks of life and can carry on a conversation even if it’s over your head because you listen to what people are saying. There are a lot of folks who won’t like that about you, but that’s their problem.

9) You Think Small Talk is a Bore

You have better things to do than talk about the weather and the basketball game. You have places to be and people to see and things to accomplish.

Your go-getter attitude is moving you up the ladder in life, but many people won’t like that you work so hard.

10) You Can Be Kind

You know when it’s time to take a break and pay attention to those that matter most to you. No matter how big or small someone is in your life, you make sure they know you care about them.

It’s this balance that makes you the most intimidating to people: you can get stuff done and you are a nice person? Well, damn.

Regardless of what people think of you, you know that what is important is what you think of yourself and where you are going.

So despite the fact that you might be upsetting a few people along your way, you don’t really care. Your strong personality allows you to live the life you want without regret. Everything else is not your problem.

11) There’s Always More to Learn

You’re not arrogant. You understand that you don’t know it all. After all, it’s impossible in a world so complex.

Instead, you’re curious and willing to listen and learn. In your eyes, wisdom is gained from all walks of life, and someone always has something to teach.

You enter any situation with an open-mind and you’re constantly on the lookout for opportunities to grow. This can make close-minded people feel insecure.

12) You LOVE Music

Your brain loves music. Whether it’s opera, hip-hop or dance, you love to experience deep emotions as it takes you to another dimension.

Music is essential in your daily routine. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to understand your emotions as clearly or as deeply.

13) You’re Selfless and Love to Make Others Happy

In our self-serving and neurotic society, your selfless attitude is a refreshing change.

You know that you’re not the center of the universe and you aim to make anyone happy that crosses your path.

It also makes you feel great to make someone else feel great. In other words, it’s a win-win.

14) You’re Optimistic

You understand that there’s no point harboring a negative attitude towards life. That doesn’t help you achieve anything.

We only get life once, so you want to make the most of it. To you, that means living up to your potential and enjoying all the different aspects of life.

Being optimistic and positive is the only way to live in your eyes. This can intimidate some people because you refuse to agree with anyone that’s overly negative.

15) You’ve Got Goals and Dreams to Achieve

You want to reach your full potential, which means setting goals and achieving them. Life is worthless if you’re not working towards some sort of purpose.

You’re ambitious, and motivated and operate from a power of working towards something higher than yourself.

For you, life is about taking action and that can intimidate people who are insecure about what they’re achieving in life.

16) You Love to Travel and Experience New Cultures

As you already know, you’re curious and willing to learn from anyone, so when it comes to traveling, you’re all for it. After all, it’s an opportunity to learn and grow.

You love interacting with people from different cultures and you make a real effort to understand what their life is like.

While you love to get out of your comfort zone, other people can’t handle it and prefer to remain secure in their small little box. As a result, this can make you intimidating.

17) Fear Doesn’t Dictate Your Life

For a lot of people, fear controls their lives. But for you, fear is nothing to be afraid of. It’s only in our minds and everyone experiences it.

In fact, you believe that fear is an opportunity to grow and experience something new. In your mind, if you’re not experiencing fear in your daily life then you’re not living right.

18) You Don’t Waste Time With Gossiping

We’ve all met that person who thrives on gossiping. It’s like this type of negative energy makes them happy.

But for you, this is exactly what you don’t like. It’s toxic, it’s not helpful and it leads to a negative state of mind.

You prefer to have deep conversations and talk about things that are actually meaningful.

19) You’re Careful About Who You Let Into Your Life

Life only gets better when you’re growing and learning about yourself. When you hang around toxic people, they only serve to bring you down.

So you choose to hang out with people who bring you up. These are people with integrity, people who are positive, and people who are just plain awesome.

You understand that over time you become like the people who you hang around, so it’s crucial that you choose the right kinds of people.

20) You Don’t Need Superficial Attention

You know that happiness won’t come from getting attention for superficial things like your appearance or status.

This kind of attention is fleeting and ultimately meaningless. You’d rather be recognized for your complexity and depth. You know there’s much more to a person than what appears on the surface.

How to be more intimidating: 10 practical ways

Intimidation is one of those things in life that can go either way: it’s either good or bad.

People often associated intimidation with a negative thing. It’s not always easy to see how it could be useful, but in the right situation, with the right people, and with the right outcome in mind, intimidation can further agendas and help people in many ways.

Here’s how you can use intimidation in a positive way.

Physical Intimidation

Own the space you occupy by standing tall, shoulders wide, and chest out.

This is helpful when you are going into an important business meeting, asking for something you want in life, or standing up to people who are otherwise taking advantage of you.

Take up the Space Around you

When you sit down, don’t crowd the corner of the chair.

Take up the space you are entitled to and let others know that you won’t be messed with by sitting straight, arms wide and poised, and by looking straight ahead.

Don’t Cross Your Arms

When you cross your arms, you send a signal that you are being defensive, which is the opposite of intimidating.

You want to see others around you cross their arms to indicate that they are intimidated by you.

Instead, stand with your hands on your hips. It broadens your shoulders and provides you with more stability.

Be in the Way

One way to convey intimidation is to be in the way of other people. Don’t let them take up your space.

Stand in a doorway, aisle or in front of the chair so that they have to get around you to get to where they are going. This is helpful when negotiating power in a room.

Don’t Let Your Hands Hang

Do something with your hands. Don’t just let them hang by yourself and don’t put them in your pocket.

Our body language says so much about us. When we feel intimidated, we are more likely to hide in some way, including shoving our hands into our pockets.

Do the opposite to hold the space for your power.

Adjust Your Facial Expressions

Nothing sends the message of intimidation quite like a scowl. If you have a message to send to someone, do it with your eyes.

Your facial expressions speak volumes about how you are feeling. Don’t let your guard down and you’ll remain the most intimidating person in the room.

Use Your Hands

While it might seem intrusive, pointing fingers at people, especially during meetings, can induce a lot of intimidation.

When someone is singled out, they have nowhere to hide. It can be intimidating to be called upon, but if you use it as a way to get people to speak up for good ideas, it’s a great tactic to use.

Work on your Physique

Men are often more intimidating than women because of their size and body shape. Men have broad shoulders and wide stances.

Women tend to try to take up as little space as possible.

Whether you are a man or a woman interested in being more intimidating, working on your physique and getting in shape is a great way to do that.

Don’t Take Notes

This one is for the ladies in the group: if you want to appear intimidated (as well as smart and sophisticated) don’t take notes during meetings.

You are not the secretary (unless you are the secretary) and you shouldn’t frantically try to record what happened in a meeting.

You should be present and participate in the meeting. Leave the notebook at home.

Dress the Part

One of the easiest ways to foster intimidation, especially in the workplace, is through the clothing you wear.

Power suits come in all shapes and sizes and you won’t be looked over when you show up looking like a million bucks.

Hair done, heels on, and a walk that could stop a bullet: it’s all you need to be intimidating in the right situations.