15 surprising things that make you unique

“Every person is unique,” Max Lucado once said.

While you may not be as distinctive as some people you know, you are unlike any other. In fact, you possess these 15 astonishing things that make you uniquely special.

1) Your intellect

Your intellect makes you unique, even if you’re not as bright as Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawking.

Remember, there are eight types of intelligence:

• Logical-Mathematical. You’re the poster child of intelligence – you can solve problems and understand complicated questions easily.
• Naturalistic. You can easily see ‘natural’ patterns, making you a genius at zoology, botany, or biology.
• Spatial. You’re good at visual judgment, so you excel at puzzles, patterns, and drawings.
• Bodily-Kinesthetic. You have coordinated physical movements, which makes you great at sports.
• Musical. You have a stellar understanding of music, sounds, and notes.
• Linguistic. You’re good at writing, reading, and public speaking.
• Interpersonal. You have high emotional intelligence, which allows you to understand and relate to other people quickly.
• Intrapersonal. You are sensitive to your feelings, so you can ‘reflect’ on yourself with ease.

Intellect does not always mean the capacity to solve equations.

According to Albert Einstein, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”

Your knack for playing musical instruments – or drawing skills – demonstrates the intellect that makes you special.

Just think about Salvador Dali. He’s a prolific surrealist painter with very odd behavior. Both these qualities have made him unique in his own strange way.

The bottom line is to explore your intellect, no matter how different it may be from the norm. This, among several other things, can significantly influence your success.

2) Your character (aka your ‘personality’)

Each individual has their own set of feelings, behaviors, and thoughts. This brand of personality is what makes you unique.

Your psychology influences it – and your biology too!

In fact, this personality is what makes you consistent. You act the same way you do in every situation, no matter how different they may be.

Your personality is one of the drivers behind your decisions and actions. It dictates how you respond – and act – when push comes to shove.

And while your behavior mirrors your character, you often express it in another way. It’s obvious in your social interactions – even your close relationships.

Your personality goes beyond just making you unique, though. It’s more important than your looks!

Your personality makes you confident, which is what you need for your romantic or professional relationships.

It also makes you more interesting, which allows you to carry a more worthwhile conversation with other people.

What personality trait makes you unique and exceptional?

To help you find the answer, we’ve created a fun quiz. Answer a few personal questions and we’ll reveal what your personality “superpower” is and how you can utilize it to live your very best life.

Check out our revealing new quiz here.

3) Your beliefs and values

Your beliefs show how much trust or faith you have in something – or somebody.

These ideas that you hold true are influenced by various things, including your faith, culture, education, and overall experience.

Once these values become something you will vigorously defend, it becomes part of your belief system.

Think about the anti-vaxxers. They believe that jabs don’t work, so they’re willing to defend it – tooth and nail – even though studies prove otherwise.

As such, your beliefs shape your values. These are the standards that you follow when it comes to making choices – or living your life.

They’re often influenced by family, career, wealth, and general view of happiness.

Your values help you decide the job you wish to take, the business you want to open, or the journey you long to pursue.

If you’re clueless as to what your values are, you can define them by:

• Thinking about the times when you felt the happiest
• Reflecting on the moments when you felt very proud
• Looking back at the events that made you feel satisfied and fulfilled

In essence, your defined values help dictate your attitudes and behaviors. More about these below.

4) Your frame of mind (aka your ‘attitude’)

Psychologists define attitude as your feelings, beliefs, and behavioral tendencies towards groups, objects, symbols, or events.

In other words, it’s the way you think (or feel) about someone – or something.

These ABCs characterize your attitude:

• Affective component. It’s the way you feel about an object, e.g., “I’m afraid of clowns.”
• Behavioral component. Yes, your attitude affects the way you behave. Since you’re deathly afraid of clowns, you cry whenever you see one.
• Cognitive. Likewise, your attitude influences the way you think. For example, you may believe that every clown you see will harm you.

That said, your attitude – whether positive or negative – makes you unique. It’s the way you express yourself.

It’s part of your identity.

“Your attitude is like a price tag – it shows how valuable you are.”

However, if you want to make the most of your life, you need to focus more on your positive attitude. Remember: no one likes to deal with people who have toxic attitudes.

5) Your outlook in life

Everybody has a different perspective on life. We all have different viewpoints when it comes to things.

I may think President A is a good leader. You may not.

This outlook is one of the things that make us all unique.

We may have mildly similar experiences in life, but we have varying perspectives. Even your twin can have a different outlook from yours.

That said, having a unique viewpoint doesn’t mean shutting others down.

You want other people to honor your perspective, no matter how contrasting it may be from them.

You owe them the same thing.

A great thing about accepting other people’s opinions is the learning process that comes with it. They may not know something about President A, so they think President B is more suitable.

By sharing your perspectives – and accepting theirs – both parties get to enjoy a healthy dialogue. Likewise, it can make you think deeper and adopt a different/new attitude.

More importantly, it can help you become a more distinctive person!

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6) Your goals in Life

We all have different goals in life.

You may want to build a business by the time you’re 30 and retire by the time you’re 50.

Whatever your goal may be, it’s driving you to become your own unique person.

Picture this: because you’re determined to start your own business, you take chances that other 30-something people wouldn’t.

Because you want to retire early, you may be investing in ventures that other people may find risky.

In other words, your goals shape the way you approach life.

If you don’t have long-term goals such as the ones above, this doesn’t mean that you’re not unique.

You may not know it, but you may be working on short-term or mid-term goals.

Finishing a project on Friday, for example, is a good example.

Your goals don’t have to be necessarily professionally-oriented, either. In fact, you can always start with building your personal development goals.

Here are some small goals you could try to achieve:

• Avoid the drama
• Be more proactive
• Practice gratefulness
• Get rid of your bad habits (and develop good ones)
• Cope with stress in a healthier way
• Be a better friend
• Learn more!

7) Your life experiences

In life, we go through experiences that help shape the way we are.

A negative experience, for one, can lead to a cynical attitude.

For example, if trusting another person ended up breaking your heart, your tendency might be not to trust anybody ever again.

But if your life was filled with positive experiences, you’re more likely to have a more pleasant attitude.

This will make you pursue something you love, no matter how hard it may be. And while you may make mistakes along the way, they just motivate you to be better.

Sure, it’s good to have a life filled with purely positive experiences. However, these negative ones make you resilient.

They help you overcome obstacles, no matter how challenging they may be.

The way you approach these hurdles does not only make you unique – it makes you an inspiration to others as well! If you can beat such barriers, they can do too.

8) Your creative and innovative ways

A creative person is someone innovative and imaginative. They’re filled with one-of-a-kind ideas that make them unique.

Being creative doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to have artistic talents. You may not be able to draw a Mona Lisa-type painting, but you can still be innovative in your own unique way.

In fact, here are some traits that make you an out-of-the-box thinker:

• You go against the tide. If most people seek A, you’re not afraid to try out B.
• You have an insatiable curiosity. As such, you ask questions A LOT.
• You have an open mind. While some may veer away from a peculiar idea, you go all out and embrace it.
• You’re an opportunity seeker. You’re not static. You’ll go out and find ways to flex your creative mind.
• You try to connect different ideas. You don’t always link A with B. You get fresh ideas because you’re the only one who tried to connect A with Z.
• You’re very passionate. Without this, you won’t be able to explore uncharted territories.
• You’re full of energy. Of course, you need a lot of juice to pursue new, groundbreaking ideas.

While some of these qualities may be met with resistance, know this: nobody can tell you what you can and can’t do. It’s your innovative pursuits that make you your own person.

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If you want to learn more about creativity and what makes an “out-of-the-box thinker” then check out our video on 7 traits of out-of-the-box thinkers: 

9) Your likes (and dislikes)

What you like – or don’t – makes you, well, you.

While you and I may like (or dislike) the same traits in a partner, that doesn’t make us two peas in a pod.

We both may go for artistic persons, which may lead you to seek performers or entertainers. I, on the other hand, may prefer artists, poets, or writers.

We may hate cinnamon – you, for taste, and I, for the smell.

The point here is that your taste makes you unique. It’s a part of your personality.

What you like – or don’t – will dictate how you act or respond to something.

Although your taste makes you unique, it shouldn’t keep you in a little box. You need to explore why other people like (or dislike) certain things.

Not only will this help you experience new things, but it can also help you grow as a person.

10) Your passion

Your habits and likes make you unique – but they may not necessarily be your passion.

Passion denotes a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something. It’s something you can’t live without. You view it as something as critical as the air you breathe.

As with many of the things in this list, your passion makes you unique. It gives you that nudge to do something you wouldn’t have pursued as strongly.

Bill Gates is one of the best (and most famous) examples of people whose passion made them unique. Before he built his billion-dollar empire, he was a simple yet dedicated programmer.

Given this devotion, he already made his first software program at the young age of 13.

As a Lakeside prep student, Bill used his programming skills to automate the school’s scheduling system.

In 1975 – while enrolled in Harvard – Bill decided to drop out to start his own company. The rest, of course, is Microsoft history.

While you may not hit the jackpot the way Bill did, it’s not a reason for you not to pursue your passion.

In the immortal words of Bill’s rival – Steve Jobs: “If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out.”

11) Your communication skills

Our communication quirks make us unique.

For example, a person can tell that you’re from the Bronx or Brooklyn by your accent.

This type of communication – known as verbal – is the way we converse with others.

Apart from your choice of words, your tone, pitch, and cadence make you unique.

It’s not the only communication skill that sets you apart, though.

There’s your method of non-verbal communication, as shown by eye contact, facial expressions, hand gestures, and posture.

Your written communications help define you as well, especially in this digital age. One wrong Facebook post or Tweet and you can be ‘canceled’ for good.

That said, you should think before you write (or post, for that matter.) You don’t want to be remembered for your poorly constructed sentences and horrendous grammar.

Last but not least is your listening skill, which is considered one of the most important forms of communication.

Listening actively is crucial because it allows you to engage effectively with other people.

So if you want to become a mindful listener, you need to:

• Focus on the other person’s message. Don’t prepare your answer midway through the conversation.
• Be empathetic. Use open or dangling statements.
• Stop judging the other person! Let them finish first before you decide.

12) Your routines or habits

Your habit is your usual way of behaving – something you repeatedly do. For example, it may be your routine to have pizza every Friday night.

Your habit makes you unique because it sets you apart from the rest.

Sure, many people like eating pizza every Friday – but it’s something you do predictably. On the dot.

In fact, your family and friends know that they need to order pizza when they meet you on Friday night, or else…

While your habits make you unique, some may be detrimental.

For example, if you order pizza every Friday night – but refuse to exercise regularly – it can take a toll on your waist (and eventually, your heart.)

This is why it’s good to focus on good habits. Not only can they keep you healthy, but they can also help you become more successful in life.

A habit of staying organized is a good example. When you keep everything in order, you’re more likely to achieve your goals.

Maintaining razor-sharp focus is another habit worth exploring. You’re more likely to achieve a feat if you pour your time (and energy) into a specific task or activity.

13) Your pastimes

What do you like doing during your free time?

Your hobbies do not only keep you preoccupied, but they also make you one-of-a-kind.

For one, your hobbies guide the way you spend your time. It also influences the way you deal with people.

For example, if you love cooking, you may prefer watching cooking shows instead of going out.

You may be very creative (another sign of uniqueness) because you’re used to creating your recipes.

While your current hobbies make you special, you shouldn’t stop here. If you want to grow more as a person, it’s time you tried out new pastimes!

For example, if you love cooking, why not try gardening and grow your own ingredients?

14) Your humor

It’s easy to laugh, but it’s hard to make other people laugh.

It’s a god-given talent many comics have – a skill that makes them unique.

But even if you don’t have the comedic chops of other people, your brand of humor makes you distinctive.

It’s a sign that you’re healthier, happier, and smarter, too.

According to a type of communication, funny people, especially those who enjoy dark humor, have higher verbal and nonverbal intelligence levels.

That’s because it requires cognitive and emotional abilities to process humor.

Humorous individuals don’t just poke fun at other people, though. They can also laugh at themselves, which is something good. It makes for positive brain changes, after all.

According to the same article, happiness can boost dopamine levels in the brain. Not only does this make you feel good, but it may help improve learning as well.

In other words, your humor makes you creative – which is another thing that makes you unique. It also enhances your working memory – apart from making you highly flexible.

Your humor can also help other people. It makes people listen, which allows you to communicate more effectively.

As mentioned, the way you communicate makes you special too.

15) Your relationships with others

You’re not the only person that makes you unique.

Your relationships with other people make you unique as well.

For one, positive relationships – be it with family, friends, or a romantic partner – offer the encouragement and support you need to meet your goals.

As James McConchie of the University of California-Berkeley states in his article:

“When parents are highly involved in school, their children tend to do well academically. And positive support from friends, especially during adolescence and early adulthood, can encourage us to be more empathic and helpful toward others.”

In other words, relationships do more than just make you feel good. It can help you become the unique individual that you are.

Here’s how to attract (and foster) relationships that can help you grow more as a person:

• Spend time with the right people. They don’t necessarily have to be similar to you. Sometimes, your total inverse can do you good. As the old saying goes: “Opposite poles attract.”
• Go networking. While your close relationships are more than enough, it wouldn’t hurt to socialize and build new ones.
• Set goals with other people. Not only will you get the motivation you need to soldier on – you get to encourage the other party as well!
• Solicit feedback. If you want to improve yourself as a person, you need to ask them: “What did I do wrong? What could I do to make everything better?”
• Be thankful. Don’t forget to be grateful to the people who have helped you become the person you are today.
• Mentor others. Just as somebody else helped you excel and become unique, you owe it to them to pay it forward.

Final thoughts

Your looks may not be that unique, but many personal aspects make you special.

Your intellect, character, beliefs, and attitudes set you apart from others.

The same goes for your outlook, goals, and experiences in life.

Your creativity, habits, likes, and passion shape you, and so do your communication skills, pastimes, and sense of humor.

Your uniqueness does not solely depend on you, though. Your relationships with other people play a big role in your individuality as well.