10 Behaviors of Genuine People. #character #family

Don’t fake sick. That’s what I told my son, JP, right before I read, 10 Behaviors of Genuine People. I took his temperature, told him it was low-grade, and encouraged him to rest. I reminded him that his puppy eyes and pouty bottom lip were unnecessary which made us both laugh.

After reading the article, I couldn’t resist to put myself, my son, and the article proposals to the test. Are we genuine?

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They don’t seek attention.  JP wanted attention and added the flare of pouting in an attempt to win the privilege of laying on the couch and watching a movie instead of doing his chores. I don’t seek attention, being more of a background make-it-happen kind of gal. But being a strong extrovert, I do love to engage with others which may appear to be attention seeking.

They’re not concerned about being liked.  JP wasn’t trying to be liked as much as pitied, in a boo-boo kitty sort of way. I like being liked but I don’t need to be. Sometimes my “nice lady” appearance does confuse people into assuming, “pushover.” Um, no.

They can tell when others are full of it.  JP and I both knew he was (a little) full of it. As the mom of four, it’s practically my job to point out endless BS.

They are comfortable in their own skin. JP is so comfortable in his skin that he plays around in it and stretches it all the time. I’ve needed to work to become comfortable in mine. Is this where I crack a bad joke about my current skin being a little too comfortable, like an old pair of jeans? 😀

IMG_0300They do what they say and say what they mean. My son is a typical kid who needs my help to say, for example, “I will take out the garbage.” Then he needs me to hold him accountable for actually taking out the garbage. I’m inclined to over-promise so I’m working on making fewer, but keeping the promises I make.

They don’t need a lot of stuff.  JP just wanted a couch and a movie. He’s a cheap date and so am I, in a good way.

They’re not thin-skinned. Oh, my, we’re thick-skinned to the point of appearing insensitive sometimes.

They’re not overly modest or boastful. In private, our family leans towards the, ahem, boastful end of the continuum. In public, we aim for humble. Personally, I tolerate bravado better than false modesty.

They’re consistent. We’re predictable in (mostly) a good way.

They practice what they preach. To paraphrase St. Francis, preach always, when necessary use words. Here’s my favorite line from the article, “…genuine people know they’re no better than anyone else so it’s not in their nature to be self-righteous.” This.

Do you find these 10 behaviors to be indicative of being genuine? Are you genuine? Who is the most genuine person you know? What helps people to be genuine? What undermines genuineness? What does genuineness look like online as compared to in person? 

Genuinely yours ~~~~~~~~ Angie Mc 😀

28 thoughts on “10 Behaviors of Genuine People. #character #family”

  6. Oh goodness! Genuineness is so refreshing! Isn’t that sad? It should be so commonplace.

    I love this list, Angie, and I love the pics you put with it. (on a side note – when I viewed this, it also had a thumbnail of your daughter below the post from your previous article – and wow do you guys look alike!)

    I think you are genuine. I try to be. I like to think I am, but, of course I do, you know? We all like to think the best of ourselves.

    I think kindness can display genuineness. Listening, paying attention to, those sorts of things. Your list was pretty inclusive! 😀 I confess, I’m probably pretty thin-skinned though. I was never good with being teased as a kid, and I’m only moderately better at it now with my husband, but only because I know he loves me and my smacks don’t really hurt him. 😉

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  7. Angie – Awe, the genuine card. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we’re doing, if we can’t be genuine, I believe we as humans must go back to the drawing board and figure out where we made the wrong turn. I’ve discovered I no longer have the patience to guess what someone wants me to believe. Give me the real deal. I love the way you interacted with your son. IMO, great parenting.

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    • Sheri, your family life which is so raw and real demands genuineness. The seriousness of the matter you face allows no room for phoniness. So much of what you do is to call out BS. That takes a lot of courage and tenacity. You’ve got something special going on, Sheri ❤

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      • Angie – While I type I hear Tom gasp for breath and know there’s not another thing I can do to ease his discomfort. My heart shatters a bit more with each passing day. I check to ensure the oxygen is placed properly, his pillows are exactly where they are supposed to be and today he has the luxury of a spring breeze ruffling the curtains. Just beyond the windows and when he’s awake, if he elects, I planted barrels of white and wine colored tulips, other barrels have his favorite roses transplanted into them and on and on. I was afraid he wouldn’t be able to see the entire backyard of gardening this year and he loves color. Wonderful friends helped me pull this plan together for him. It even helps me by having so much in the barrels as it’s easy to deadhead and weed! And, yes – there’s not a minute I have for anything that’s not genuine.
        One of the reasons I love your blog so much is that I know I can rest my soul ‘at your house’ and find comfort within your pages or find a great recipe or the sounds of music will fill my heart. it’s difficult finding all the time I want to make it to wordpress as in the days of yore but dear heart, it’s not for a lack of trying. Keep up your great work.

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      • Oh Sheri, I didn’t know that you were at this point. I’m glad I know now. I’ll send you an email after Easter to make sure that we have quick access to each other for when you don’t get to WP. Sending you and Tom every blessing for a beautiful Easter ❤

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  8. Great post dear Angie … I love it and truly liked the pics…. ⭐
    I think that those are certainly behaviours of genuine people…
    Fortunately I recognize some of them in myself!!!
    All the very best to you / yours Aquileana 😀

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    • Thank you sweet, Aquileana! My goodness, *yes* your genuineness brightly shines at your blog and at every blog you visit. You comment so generously, so genuinely 😀

      I hope your week is off to a wonderful start!

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