Getting attention

[Crazy Elf]

I'm wondering if anyone here does anything to try to get people's attention. I know I sure as hell do, hence the career choice of standing in front of large audiences and making them laugh, but I'm wondering what other people do in order to get attention from those around them.

In front of large crowds I'm pretty good, but I find that in small social settings I'm not nearly as good at drawing attention to myself. I tend to become very reclusive, and thus any attempt to take up attention resorts to crowd tactics or is a very controlled effort not to do so.

How about yourselves?

[3278]

I almost never try to get peoples' attention in this context, but I desperately need it. More significantly, I want them to not just perceive me, but perceive me "accurately," by which I really mean I want them to think of me the way I think of myself, which only sometimes reflects me accurately.

On the other hand, if you watch me in a crowd, or even in small groups, I give a pretty fair impression of trying to get people's attention, but it's not conscious; it's just how I act. Partly it's an alpha thing, partly it's a self-centeredness thing. I just kind of act like, at any time, it's perfectly appropriate for me to move the focus of conversation back to whatever I'd like the focus of conversation to be. It's got to be terribly irritating.

[Serious Paul]

I just don't care if people pay attention to me.

[Eva]

I don't like being the center of attention in a larger group at all, but I love the attention you get in an engaged 1:1 dynamic (SHOOT ME NOW). What I mean to say: on Friday we had a party at mine. I was in the kitchen with one or two other people. Everyone else is in the living room, until people migrate to the kitchen. I love that 'en petit comité' feeling of separating one conversation or one dynamic from the larger group. I love the undivided attention part of it.

So do I like attention? Yes, absolutely. I'm just very picky about which kind.

[Moto42]

In front of large crowds I'm pretty good, but I find that in small social settings I'm not nearly as good at drawing attention to myself. I tend to become very reclusive, and thus any attempt to take up attention resorts to crowd tactics or is a very controlled effort not to do so.

For performance, I'm the opposite. I prefer to draw the attention of small groups of three to ten people. The crowds you play like a fiddle would leave me helpless. ... It'll come in time.

For attracting attention for a performance I find that playing with a deck of cards (flourishes and shuffling) draws questions, pulling an object out of an unussual location and asking "did anyone drop this <planted prop>?" work wonders. I have a sponge ball routine that I fall back on a LOT.

In gatherings of my friends I prefer to have attention off me, except for a few comments, then I just sit back and listen.
I "salt the conversation" as a friend of mine put it.
________________
I'm a magician trying to go pro. I think that will put me somewhere below a stand-up but above a juggler.

[Moto42]

Quote /= Edit

[Crazy Elf]

I'm a magician trying to go pro. I think that will put me somewhere below a stand-up but above a juggler.

I had no idea! That's awesome!

Just remember that when it comes to crowds there are two keys. One is to never take yourself seriously, as that road leads to pain for you and all viewers. The second is to realise that talking to an audience is much like having a one on one conversation. Treat the crowd like they're one person, and allow them a chance to RESPOND to what you're saying. Ask them questions, and when you're talking leave breaks for them to make noises as though they're listening.

Do that, and large crowds are pretty easy.

[Salvation122]

I'm pretty terribly passive. I already know what I know; I want to know what you know. This makes it somewhat difficult to make friends or get dates.

That said, if I'm talking to someone, I expect (and demand) their full attention, to an almost obnoxious degree. People texting while I'm talking to them drives me up a wall.

[Moto42]

Thankyou CE. I'll keep those in mind.

[Kai]

Not really? I mean, I don't go after attention, but I often end up with it and we get into the whole might as well make lemonade bit. If the plan ends up 'be the center of attention', okay, let's roll with it, but given a choice I'd rather have a nice round table everyone gets attention for a bit thing.

[Jeff Hauze]

Not really? I mean, I don't go after attention, but I often end up with it and we get into the whole might as well make lemonade bit. If the plan ends up 'be the center of attention', okay, let's roll with it, but given a choice I'd rather have a nice round table everyone gets attention for a bit thing.

I'm sorry, what were you saying? This monkey was too busy dancing.

[ak404]

I definitely work at trying to get the attention of other people, especially car drivers. Where I used to wear dark, subdued colors like navy blue, grey, black, or dark brown mixed with white and the occasional burst of rust, orange, or maroon, I now lean toward bright colors like fire engine red, bright yellow, florescent, and white.

Hell, I ride a fucking road bike. You can hardly blame me.

Of course, once I get to work, I throw my dark clothes on, but on the road...yeah.

[WillyGilligan]

I like small bursts of attention. I tend to pepper conversation with retarded puns and other low forms of wit. If I get 1 laugh in every 10 attempts I call it good.

Otherwise, I like to hang at the edge and offer observations as they come.

[Ancient History]

I don't like being the absolute center of attention, but yeah I've been known to spout some serious shit to get attention - in a classroom, on IRC, in a small social setting. Part of it is residual please-teacher-my-hand-was-raised-first nonsense, or just a desire to spice up a dull conversation while making myself look better. I'm aware of it when I do it, and sometimes I fight it, sometimes I don't.