---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You want to be interesting? Be interested."
description: "\"You want to be interesting? Be interested.\" — James Franco"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/james-franco-2025_interesting_you-want-to-be-interesting-be-interested_1613094.jpg"
---

#  You want to be interesting? Be interested.

![“You want to be interesting? Be interested.” quote by James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/james-franco-2025_interesting_you-want-to-be-interesting-be-interested_1613094.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/james-franco-2025_interesting_you-want-to-be-interesting-be-interested_1613094.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/james-franco-2025_interesting_you-want-to-be-interesting-be-interested_1613094.jpg)

> “You want to be interesting? Be interested.”

[James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Interest in others fosters genuine connections and personal growth.

**In simple terms:** Be curious about others.

Key Takeaway

Listen and ask questions.

Themes

curiosity relationships growth

Mood

engaging thoughtful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- networking events
- friendship building
- mentorship
- team meetings

Key Concepts

social skills empathy learning

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you show interest respectfully?
- What questions deepen conversation?

A Different Perspective

Being overly interested can feel intrusive.

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[Interested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interested/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Interesting Interested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-interested-1011671/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-interesting-266956/)

## Related quotes

> [If you want to be interesting, be interested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/if-you-want-to-be-interesting-be-interested/)

[David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/)

> [And it's interesting, but I'm always interested in the story behind the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximilian-schell/and-it-s-interesting-but-i-m-always-interested-in-the-story-behind/)

[Maximilian Schell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximilian-schell/)

> [If you want an interesting life. Become interested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-you-want-an-interesting-life-become-interested/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [To be interesting, be interested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/to-be-interesting-be-interested/)

[Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/)

> [I just do what I want to do, and if it's a rather interesting script - which I found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-plummer/i-just-do-what-i-want-to-do-and-if-it-s-a-rather-interesting-script/)

[Christopher Plummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-plummer/)

> [One cost, for the lonely: If you want to be interesting, the one thing you shouldn't do is really focus on the fact that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sendhil-mullainathan/one-cost-for-the-lonely-if-you-want-to-be-interesting-the-one-thing/)

[Sendhil Mullainathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sendhil-mullainathan/)

> [Nothing is interesting if you're not interested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-clark-macinnes/nothing-is-interesting-if-you-re-not-interested/)

[Helen Clark MacInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-clark-macinnes/)

> [“Be interesting. Be interested.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-galloway/be-interesting-be-interested/)

[Greg Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-galloway/)

> [Don't be interesting - be interested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/don-t-be-interesting-be-interested/)

[James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/)

> [Everybody is interesting when they are interested in something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/everybody-is-interesting-when-they-are-interested-in-something/)

[Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/)

> [You don't have to be interesting. You have to be interested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-gottman/you-don-t-have-to-be-interesting-you-have-to-be-interested/)

[John M. Gottman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-gottman/)

> [To be interesting, you must be interested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/live-skate-smoke/to-be-interesting-you-must-be-interested/)

[Live\_Skate\_Smoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/live-skate-smoke/)

> [I don't know if I should care for a man who made life easy; I should want someone who made it interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/i-don-t-know-if-i-should-care-for-a-man-who-made-life-easy-i-should/)

[Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/)

> [I've made it clear to my agents that I want more interesting stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wopat/i-ve-made-it-clear-to-my-agents-that-i-want-more-interesting-stuff/)

[Tom Wopat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wopat/)

> [When you don't want to be interesting, you are free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mooji/when-you-don-t-want-to-be-interesting-you-are-free/)

[Mooji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mooji/)

## More by James Franco

> [I love that the idea of examining memory, and the way memory is edited was made more interesting because it was being filtered through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/i-love-that-the-idea-of-examining-memory-and-the-way-memory-is-edited/)

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> [Reviews about film acting are very... tricky, because movies are such a collaborative thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/reviews-about-film-acting-are-very-tricky-because-movies-are-such-a/)

[James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/)

> [ I went to NYU graduate film school and met Pam \[Romanowsky\], and after doing a few things with her I thought she had the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/i-went-to-nyu-graduate-film-school-and-met-pam-romanowsky-and-after/)

[James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/)

> [I was a black center in the middle of all the nature. I was nothing, but I could do anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/i-was-a-black-center-in-the-middle-of-all-the-nature-i-was-nothing/)

[James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/)

> [I hate being an actor, they dress you and put on your makeup and you just feel like a little baby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/i-hate-being-an-actor-they-dress-you-and-put-on-your-makeup-and-you/)

[James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/)

> [Always have one artistic thing that is pure, at least one thing, where you don’t compromise. You can do other things to make money,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/always-have-one-artistic-thing-that-is-pure-at-least-one-thing-where/)

[James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/)

> [I've been acting for many years now, and I find there's nothing I enjoy more than making films with my friends and people I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/i-ve-been-acting-for-many-years-now-and-i-find-there-s-nothing-i/)

[James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/)

> [The wind came in languid gusts like whispered reminders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/the-wind-came-in-languid-gusts-like-whispered-reminders/)

[James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/)

> [In a movie, a book, or a play, a character doesn't live in a vacuum. She is subject to pressures from the world outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/in-a-movie-a-book-or-a-play-a-character-doesn-t-live-in-a-vacuum-she/)

[James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/)

> [Anyone has outside influences. They are the results of the cosmic roll of the dice: this person is born Aragon the Ranger, this person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/anyone-has-outside-influences-they-are-the-results-of-the-cosmic-roll/)

[James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/)

> [I have high aspirations. I want to be an architect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/i-have-high-aspirations-i-want-to-be-an-architect/)

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> [If you have a profession that depends on what you look like, you can't blame somebody for caring about that. It's part of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/if-you-have-a-profession-that-depends-on-what-you-look-like-you-can-t/)

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> [I don't like sleeping in a bed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/i-don-t-like-sleeping-in-a-bed/)

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> [My favorite role ever was Alien in 'Spring Breakers'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/my-favorite-role-ever-was-alien-in-spring-breakers/)

[James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/)

[Explore all 191 James Franco quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/)

## More Interested quotes

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

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> [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/)

[Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/)

> [I was interested in all kinds of things, whether it be Avatar, Mad Men, Troy, 300, Battlestar Gallactica, or the poems of Horace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mendelsohn/i-was-interested-in-all-kinds-of-things-whether-it-be-avatar-mad-men/)

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> [I would call myself a Gnostic. Which means, I'm interested in pursuing and understanding the spiritual nature of things. A Gnostic is somebody seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/i-would-call-myself-a-gnostic-which-means-i-m-interested-in-pursuing/)

[Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/)

> [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/)

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> [I've always been interested in socially political, or overtly political, comedy. And I guess I've always liked to channel some kind of personal element…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-socially-political-or-overtly/)

[John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/)

> [Yes, I would like to be involved in something that would hopefully be a blockbuster, but I'm interested in seeing new filmmakers telling new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-todd/yes-i-would-like-to-be-involved-in-something-that-would-hopefully-be/)

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> [I'm interested in the eternal soul. That's what I write about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-alberto-urrea/i-m-interested-in-the-eternal-soul-that-s-what-i-write-about/)

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> [What I'm interested in is to get people saved and to see the power of God spread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhard-bonnke/what-i-m-interested-in-is-to-get-people-saved-and-to-see-the-power-of/)

[Reinhard Bonnke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhard-bonnke/)

> [I'm not a man deeply interested in technology. It eludes me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/i-m-not-a-man-deeply-interested-in-technology-it-eludes-me/)

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