There is a marked difference between when you spend time with people that you can’t wait to get away from and when you spend time with people who you can’t get enough of. Those people who you tend to have endless conversations with, the ones you wish time would stand still for so you could have more fun, the ones you can easily laugh, talk, play around and joke with – these people are what you class as good company. What is incredible about good company is that there is no expiry date on the fun-factor that accompanies your interactions with them, from one moment to the next. You can go weeks or even months without speaking, yet when you do finally get together again, the jokes are just as hilarious, the conversations are just as enthralling and the interaction is just as lively and vibrant as the last time. It’s just what happens when people manage to ‘click’ with each other on an emotional, mental (and dare I say) spiritual level. So how do you know if you’re in good company? Here are some clues:
You Can Relate To What They’re Saying
People often underestimate the fact that we usually bond through sheer virtue of having similar experiences. This transcends any differences in social standing, income, culture or religion. Once you establish that you have an experience or two in common, that is already fertile ground for a lively or interesting conversation. You can swap ideas, share the outcomes of your personal dilemmas, laugh about the crazy stuff in-between and feel at ease that you are not the only one in this world experiencing similarly crazy issues. Whilst we all recognise each other to be fellow human beings, there is something special about finding someone who has also been through what you’ve been through or just simply have the same hobbies and interests. It’s almost like you can see a glimpse of yourself in the other individual and that is a very lovely thing.
You Don’t Need To Drink To Have A Good Time
If you need to drink around the individual(s) in your company to experience anything remotely close to fun, that isn’t good company. In fact, that is frankly really sad. It’s almost as if the alcohol is being used as a sedative so that your senses can be dulled enough to experience the buzz that you’ve otherwise failed to get from the company you’re in. Now that should not be the case. As a matter of fact, the alcohol (in moderation, of course) should be an added bonus to an already comfortable gathering rather than a crutch for small talk and conversation. I have had some of the most interesting and intriguing encounters with other people, in small and large gatherings, without once having alcohol grace my lips. However, whenever alcohol was involved, it added to the already enchanting ambience which was all thanks to good conversation and an easy-going atmosphere. A drunk or drug-induced state doesn’t have to be the objective when you’re in good company.
You Have Good Listeners
We’ve all been there where you’re surrounded by people who don’t care to hear anything or anyone but themselves. Even if the content of their conversation is waffle, nonsensical or purely grand-standing, they are determined to draw attention to themselves at all cost. On the less extreme side of the spectrum, you also have those who will ask questions and pretend to be receptive to your answers only to ask the same question 10 minutes later. Needless to say, uninterested, disengaged, narcissistic and indifferent people are not typically good company. To be honest, when surrounded by such people, it is understandable why some rely on alcohol to get them through the whole ordeal (especially if it’s meant to last a couple hours). However, if you manage to find one good listener within such a crowd, you’d be surprised at how much difference this makes. Being a good listener yourself also opens up the opportunity for learning new things and connecting with new people. Who would have thought that such a simple thing as listening could make a massive difference in the quality of your interaction?
You Look Forward To Seeing Them Again
This is a no-brainer. Nobody eagerly anticipates reuniting with people that are as bad as a hangover and as familiar as a headache. On the other hand, when you’ve truly enjoyed the company of a group of people, you don’t need any prompting to make arrangements to see them again. That’s just the natural course of things when you connect or truly have fun with someone. To this day I still keep in touch with people that I met in China because we bonded so well that it would be a crime if I did anything but!
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