Interesting vs. intriguing: What’s the difference, and which do you prefer?

Question

OneViewpoint · Answer

Maybe the degree of curiosity / interest of the observer? But I might add 1 more level to make this stack a trinity... because that's how most people tend to think. Three makes it fact.

Stage 1 Interesting - Huh, that's interesting. I wonder what's going on with that.

Stage 2 Intriguing - Now I really want to know. I'm gonna go find out. I want to understand that person or thing.

Stage 3 Obsession - I can't stop thinking about it or them. That thing or person is on my mind 24X7 and I need to know everything about it or them. I'll take every chance I get to extract more information or have that thing or person.

A lot pf people treat me that way. Interested at first because my behavior is different, I don't interact with many people. Intrigued if they hear a little gossip about my background. It's unusual. And sometimes women get downright obsessed with getting to know me whether I want that or not.

Last night it was a guy, LOL. I was out for Friday night Happy Hour at an upscale Restaurant / Wine bar. All my friends had already left so was just reading the room and watching the people theater. This guy takes the seat next to me. Turns out he's a career restauranteur who owns 3 places of his own. The owners of the place we were in had just opened a new place in the past couple of weeks and as a result they pilfered staff (kitchen, bar, front end) from their existing 3 restaurants to get the new place launched. So there were lots of new faces among the staff. We started talking business and I filled him in on the personalities. The conflicts. The characters. The clientele. I told him I'm an introvert who reads people and the room as a hobby. He'd already picked up on that which is rare. He also knew a little about me from gossip in the place we were in. He sat down specifically to pick my brain. Well that, and there was a group of attractive women hovering behind me, LOL. A particular popular female bartender was fired a few months ago and I filled him in on the dynamics of that situation and the fallout amongst the clientele. He asked me to read some interactions and profile the bartenders. The guy was pretty perceptive himself. I could tell he was a veteran of the restaurant business. That was one case where I didn't mind the interaction. We got into general leadership philosophy, risk taking, and people psychology along with some of the hilarious interactions among the crowd and the chaos / change associated with the startup of a new business as the front end manager of the place we were in told us that their new venture was going through constant revisions and they had no bar menu yet because the kitchen staff was having trouble getting the food out to customers in a reasonable time. Interesting and real stuff that just happens.

FreyaRed · Answer

In my perception of non English speaker.
interesting = it's rather rational and calculated interest on something or someone
intriguing= emotional interest like a fascination about an intrigue.

I don't use intriguing often, rather exciting or enticing

sage2021 · Answer

When friends of mine went out on first dates with someone new, I would always ask how their date went.

If they said "It was interesting" I knew it didn't go very well.

I call it the "I" word.

Intrigue not only makes me curious, but holds my interest.

7Phoenix7 · Answer

So…someone I find interesting makes me want to get to know them and learn more about them.

But someone I find intriguing? I’m going to find out more about them lol. There’s something about them that makes me curious, and I will figure out what it is haha… I think I prefer intriguing.

NathanDavis · Answer

when I think...  "this might be great..." then, to...   "this is going great..."

Ill_made_Knight · Answer

Interest implies an intellectual curiosity. Intrigue has a little extra juice. Some personal impact maybe. Something that isn't purely factual if you like, involving human interaction. Clinical vs. Personal.

xawyx-3 · Answer

Interesting is something that makes you want to know more about it. Intriguing is kinda deeper, mysterious, not just intellectual, but also emotional.

Nikki1989 · Answer

Something is interesting when it holds your attention. Something is intriguing when it actively sparks your curiosity.

ElenaLena · Answer

“He was interesting” at the beginning.. then “he was intriguing”…

AgentG111 · Answer

Something that interesting may have as interest to me or just a fact that I didn't know. Intriguing is something I want to look into more or what to ask questions about.

Shiprex · Answer

Intriguing because it implies there is mystery about the subject worthy of discovery

Iron_Man · Answer

Aren’t they really both the same? I find you interesting your intriguing. It’s the same thing if you think about it

loveslongnails · Answer

Intriguing lasts longer with more intensity.

Anonymous · Answer

Intriguing because it shows a stronger interest

Dr_Dixon_Cider · Answer

One is more logically pulling while the other feels emotionally pulling. What do I prefer?  Telling you that would get me banned.

queenofcardio · Answer

Intriguing people pull me in

slatyb · Answer

Intriguing is just more interesting.

Cidknee · Answer

Checking it out vs figuring it out. Both.

RedInnocent69 · Answer

Intriguing. It’s fancy interest.

Paige2006 · Answer

Intriguing

Interesting vs. intriguing: What’s the difference, and which do you prefer?

What Girls & Guys Said

For you, what is the difference between interesting and intriguing?

Interesting vs. intriguing: What’s the difference, and which do you prefer?

What Girls & Guys Said

For you, what is the difference between interesting and intriguing?

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