I love this fun post on MeFi - later taken up by 43 Folders - though take heed of the advice from quite a few of the posts; adopting a eccentricity means you are trying too hard, enhancing one you already have is fine.

I think I’m a little odd, but not eccentric. Personally I don’t wear a watch, I like a pocket watch instead. I watch almost zero television, it has no real appeal. I carry a Moleskine notepad and pencil with me always. I wear only earth colours, browns, reds, greens. I’m polite and I like correct pronunciation, I hate dropped Ts and Hs. I probably have a load more but none of these are badger-on-the-head levels of eccentricity. Perhaps I need one …

A few years ago a woman from the Daily Mail phoned to inform me they were doing a piece on Sir John Betjeman and they would like me to companion him in the article, I being representative of the younger English eccentric. She wanted to know if was still doing it. Well, I don’t do it, I’m merely myself, as near as dammit, without frightening the housing estates, and her question was absurd rather than fatuous, as it suggests deliberation, rather as though you woke up and decided “I’m going to be a geranium today” or “I’m going to be giant squid for the weekend” or “That’s it! I’m going to be a wardrobe for the rest of.. um.. my word! Well, strap me to a tree and call me Brenda!”

I’m whatever you like, just don’t expect me to join in. I do like games, though. You see, I’m not different for the sake of being different, only for the desperate sake of being myself. I can’t join your gang: you’d think I was a phoney and I’d know it.

Vivian Stanshall.

That said, with the added note that you should let your personality follow from your principles, here’s the combined list from MeFi and 43 Folders:

I had an English teacher who trained himself out of saying “um” and “er”. He’d just pause until the right word came to him.
Smoke cigars or herbal cigarettes
Wear one colour only, wear mismatched colours, wear hats.
Drink or eat something particularly pungent, at work.
Wear a cologne designed for someone of the opposite gender, same with clothing options.

Learn Shakespeare off by heart to quote at any appropriate moment.
Become extremely knowledgable in one field eg, the life and times of hiphop artists. Share your knowledge.
Skip or dance spontaneously.
Use a walking stick.
Be immaculate.

Buy your clothes from second hand stores aiming at sticking within a decade of fashion at least a decade old.
Object to humour. Be offended relentlessly.
Be offensive. Ensure every sentence carries an expletive.
Wear a fob watch, and use it.
Read classic literature on public transport. Out loud.

Stand backward in the elevator (okay, not mine).
Take on the accent of whichever person you’re speaking to(my brother does this, he doesn’t know he does it).
Blame everything on someone else.
Two words: Bow Tie.
Snuff

Pince nez
Capes
For a while in status meetings I finished my reports with “…in accordance with the prophecy.” but it got old really fast.
Carry a cricket bat with you everywhere.
Wear all or parts of an 18-Century British Naval Officer’s Uniform. Other archaic military outfits may also serve. Especially the hats.

Insist your friends and co-workers address you and refer to you with an honorific. Bonus points if it’s one you have never even aspired to actually earning. (i.e. “The Captain” “The Doctor” “The Admiral” “The Viscount” Etc.)
Wander the streets with bees tied to your clothing with fishing line.
Memorize Voltaire. Bonus points for being able to quote him in French.
Wear evening dress all hours of the day. Bonus points if it’s in the style of another century or culture.
girl whose unvaried style consisted of closely shaved head and overalls or baggy jeans, for years

girl who always wore undergarment type slips as outerwear
guy who affected a richard nixon persona
guy with the haircut that looked like mange
girl who would sleep in odd places all over campus
barefoot guy

odd pets: parrots, snakes, ferrets
bagpipe playing guy
pipe smokers
write words on all your clothes guy
girl who smoked holding cigarettes between pinky and ring finger

super-hot girl who never spoke to anyone
guy who was always making a movie about something
raw foodists
guy who wrote what was wrong with everyone on his hall in essays and hung them on the bathroom mirrors
reincarnation of Jim Morrison guy

aggressively stupid girl with catsuit
Dan the dirty hand man
guy who always has a harmonica
I never change my sweater girl
Pee into a water bottle, refrigerate it, and drink it the next day.

Adding mannerisms seems affected. Subtracting ‘em makes you distinctive and appreciated–or at least mysterious.
(1) Remove “umm”, “uhh”, mentioned above. Also, excise “right?” and other fill.
(2) Don’t begin most sentences with “I”. Make speech less self-serving.
(3) Prune passives. “Mistakes were made,” becomes “I messed up.” See E-Prime. This requires compromises with goal (2).
Don’t blink
Learn how to cook. Better yet, learn how to bake. Now bake something at least once a week and give it away.
Send thank you cards after receiving gifts.
Give gifts to children of people instead of the people directly.

Send flowers.
Offer books.
Learn how to polish shoes, and offer to polish the shoes of others in your office (at least once).
Propose having a garage sale in your office, or your office kitchen during lunch hour.
Learn some great text inside out, something worldly that you can quote regularly.

Learn about nutrition, and share that information in a helpful manner with those who might want to hear it.
Wear button-fly jeans.
Try to love your life, love those around you, and show them you love them, more each day.
Be gay.
Without ever stating this goal out loud to anyone, try to be known among friends & acquaintances as a very generous person. Not as “the most generous person” they know– just a very generous person.

Give up electronics. No digital watch. No mobile phone. Nothing with earphones. You’ll may need to keep your computer, but limit it to that and keep it at home. Hide or sell your television and stereo. These devices are vices.
Be super polite

MeFi,

Related Posts: