How can someone become more unnoticeable?
To help you become more unnoticeable, we asked CEOs and other leaders this question for their best ideas. From blending in with the environment to making little or no eye contact, there are several tips that may help you become more unnoticeable in any social environment.
Here are seven tips for becoming more unnoticeable:
- Blend in With The Environment
- Keep Your Social Media Profile Private
- Avoid Flashy Clothing and Dress To Fit Occasions
- Mind Your Business and Limit Engagement With Others
- Minimize Travel Gear and Act Less Like a Tourist
- Speak Less and Let Others Talk
- Make Little or No Eye Contact
Blend in With The Environment
The best way to become more unnoticeable is by blending into a crowd. Whether it be at a grocery store, a concert, or even at work, you should try to assimilate to take away from drawing attention to yourself. Study your environment. Take mental notes on certain non-verbal or verbal cues. Take mental notes on the dress attire. Take mental notes on behavior. From there, blend in where you can fit in.
Kate Lipman, embrace Scar Therapy
Keep Your Social Media Profile Private
One way in which you can become less noticeable in today’s world is by keeping your social media profiles turned off or maximally private. In the era of extraversion, look-at-me, and attention-by-any-means, some actually appreciate privacy and do not want to be in the middle of it all.
Since the Internet is such a large part of our day-to-day lives, maintaining a well-crafted public profile can go a long way in helping you remain unnoticeable. Thus, depending on how unfindable you want to be, it’s wise to select the best privacy settings as well as be very careful what and where you post on the web. After all, the Internet does not forget, so be wary of what you publish, all the more if you want to keep a low profile.
Peter Bryla, ResumeLab
Avoid Flashy Clothing and Dress To Fit Occasions
I think clothing can change a lot. What colors or cuts we wear has a big influence on whether we draw attention. Considering the psychological background, if you want to remain unnoticed, it’s worth betting on neutral colors and avoiding flashy, neon ones such as red or pink. As far as styles are concerned, it is best to choose clothes appropriate for a given place. You will wear different outfits to the beach to blend in with the crowd and a different one to the elegant office.
Magdalena Sadowska, PhotoAiD
Mind Your Business and Limit Engagement With Others
Show up, go about your business, leave. Someone can become more unnoticeable by simply going about life doing what they need to do for themselves, but not much more than that. This approach leaves little room for engagement, which is a key element towards becoming ‘noticeable.’ People naturally think about and/or frequently acknowledge things and people that they are familiar with. With limited opportunities to become acquainted with someone/something, it effectively doesn’t occupy much room in their minds as a result. Thus, someone who doesn’t engage much or actively make themselves known can essentially become unnoticeable.
Michelle Arnau, Rowan
Minimize Travel Gear and Act Less Like a Tourist
If you want to be more unnoticeable, then you need to look like you’re part of the local community. A tourist carrying a giant fluorescent backpack and a camera around their neck, who’s got their eyes glued to a map on their mobile device is easy to pick out of a crowd. Instead, wear muted colors and minimize the touristy objects you carry with you. Plan your walk ahead of time so you rely less on your map, and enjoy blending in.
Dennis Consorte, Snackable Solutions
Speak Less and Let Others Talk
Speak less. The less chatty one is, the more they are likely to go under the radar. Remaining mostly silent in group interactions, and letting others talk more than you do is a good way to become more unnoticeable. Ask questions to get others talking, but try to keep things focused on others and less on yourself. Listen more than you speak.
Jordan Duran, 6 ICE
Make Little or No Eye Contact
The best way to avoid being remembered is to keep your eyes down. Don’t look at anyone. Don’t make eye contact. People recall faces of people after they’ve locked eyes with them. Sunglasses aren’t the best way to do that. Sunglasses make people look suspicious. If you keep quiet, blend in while immersed in a big crowd and don’t look at anyone, there’s a good chance you won’t be noticed.
Trevor Ford, Yotta
Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published.
