9 Captivating Traits Of People With ‘Good Vibes’ Who Are A Joy To Be Around
Cultivating joy is a daily practice.
Ransford Quaye / Unsplash If you’ve ever been immediately drawn to someone you’ve just met, it could be because they’re the kind of person who captures other people’s attention for all the right reasons. They are the kinds of people who make you feel entirely happy when you're with them because their good vibes radiate out, and they share that joy with you.
Here are nine captivating traits of people with ‘good vibes’ who are a joy to be around.
1. They’re totally empathetic.
People with good vibes have deep-seated compassion toward themselves and others. They accept their own emotions and the emotions of others around them, without forcing anyone to change.
Performance specialist and influencer Shadè Zahrai explained in a TikTok post that there are three different types of empathy, including cognitive empathy, emotional or affective empathy and compassionate empathy.
People with good vibes have a highly attuned sense of compassionate empathy. They wonder what other people are feeling at any given moment, using that context to inform how they interact. They ask themselves if they’ve ever been in a similar emotional state and how they can help.
People who practice compassionate empathy are a joy to be around because they truly care about how you feel.
2. They’re deeply honest.
People who have good vibes are honest people to their core. They have a strong moral compass, which they use to guide all their interactions and relationships. They call it as they see it, yet they do so with kindness. They know the inherent value of showing up as their truest selves and they want to share the wealth of that knowledge with the people around them.
3. They’re accountable to themselves and others.
People with good vibes work hard to hold themselves accountable for their own actions. When they make a mistake, they say they’re sorry and then change their behavior for the better. These people practice taking responsibility for themselves and they expect others to do the same.
Admitting that you’ve made a mistake is never an easy task, yet it’s important to acknowledge that messing up is part of being human. We all have the capacity to cause harm, whether meaningfully or not; it’s what we do after we’ve hurt someone that matters most.
According to Maurie Lung, a clinical psychologist and licensed family and marriage therapist, holding oneself accountable is the first part of the healing process. As Lung has stated, "We talk about the two aspects of an apology, the accountability for the action that caused hurt, and the connection to the heart and care for another. Sometimes this can come in two parts. The immediate can be the accountability, and when emotions settle, can come the connection."
4. They’re generous.
People with good vibes are considerate of others, in a truly genuine way. They give without expecting anything in return because they know that what matters most is the friendships they’re cultivating.
True generosity can come in many forms and people with good vibes showcase all different kinds of giving. When a person with good vibes offers you their time or resources, it’s because they really care about you and want to see you thrive. They know that kindness and compassion make the best gifts. Their joy becomes your joy, when they offer a helping hand.
5. They embrace other people’s perspectives.
It’s never easy to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, but a person with good vibes is always practicing that particular action. They’re respectful of differences and embrace diversity because they know that what unites us is more powerful than what divides us. They care about other people’s lived experiences and don’t discount anyone else’s story, even if it’s different from their own worldview. A person with good vibes wants to know what makes you, you, and if your life looks nothing like their own, they’ll still accept you with open arms.
6. They’re nonjudgmental.
People with good vibes accept you wholeheartedly, in your entirety — all the quirky parts, all the parts you feel insecure about. They love you for you.
As noted by Elise Howell, a licensed professional counselor associate, non-judgment can be defined as “a mindfulness practice of observing the events of your situation without judging them as good or bad.”
Part of having a nonjudgmental attitude is rooted in the practice of mindfulness, which means you look at your own internal experience without forcing any meaning onto how you are feeling. There are no “good” or “bad” feelings; feelings just are.
According to a research paper published in 2019 in the journal “Personality and Individual Differences,” being non-judgmental creates a stable sense of emotional well-being. The paper noted that “when individuals criticize themselves and their inner experience, they go through higher levels of suffering.” The paper also stated that “individuals who tend to adopt a non-judgemental stance towards their own thoughts and feelings have lower depression and anxiety.”
A person with good vibes carries their practice of non-judgment from their own internal world to the people around them. In accepting themselves fully, they also accept others in the same way.
7. They validate the people around them.
People with good vibes know the true meaning of spreading the wealth — and it has nothing to do with money. They’re the ones who are always in your corner, offering you enthusiastic support no matter what challenge you’re facing. Instead of cutting you down, a person with good vibes builds you up. Your successes are their successes, and they want to see you shine.
8. They set boundaries for themselves & accept boundaries other people set.
Navigating boundaries can be a challenging and emotional experience, yet people with good vibes not only know how to set boundaries, but they also know how to respect the boundaries other people set.
Psychologist Dr. Julie Smith discussed boundaries on her TikTok account, offering followers an important reminder about what they mean.
She said, “When you set a boundary in a relationship, the other person has a right not to like it and they probably won’t. But that doesn’t make you wrong for setting the boundary. If you have to betray yourself in order to be liked by someone else, that’s not a healthy relationship.”
Part of the joy of being around people who have good vibes is that they respect you. A person with good vibes doesn’t expect other people to go against their own beliefs.
9. They practice gratitude.
People with good vibes put in the work to get those vibes, by consistently practicing gratitude. UCLA Health defines practicing gratitude as a regular focus on the positive parts of your life. People with good vibes know that practicing gratitude is essential to finding joy, even amidst harrowing situations. They also noted a correlation between higher levels of gratitude and lower levels of depression, in that practicing gratitude on a regular basis works against negative thought patterns, by keeping you in the present.
There are various techniques for practicing gratitude, including keeping a journal where you reflect on what you’re grateful for, and actively redirecting your thoughts when they veer into a critical place. A grateful mindset helps us feel more connected to ourselves and our communities, and as a person with good vibes knows, those connections are essential to locating our joy.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers mental health, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.