Think about the people you love. Chances are, some of the first things that come to mind are their delightful idiosyncrasies. Does he strike up conversations with dogs in the street? Does she sing 80’s rock ballads while she gardens? These little quirks are such a big part of what make us unique as individuals. By letting the readers of your profile see your quirks, you’re letting them know that you’re a real, living, loving human being, and not just another string of text with a fuzzy photo. We guarantee that they all (well, those worth knowing) have loved and do love some interesting and idiosyncratic people. Show that you belong in that privileged crew.

You can portray your quirks in different ways. The simplest is to simply list quirky things about yourself. You can also pepper the more serious parts of your profile with off-hand descriptions of your idiosyncrasies. You can tell stories that reveal some of your adorable oddities in an amusing context. As long as you’re writing with your own voice, in a conversational tone, and having fun, your quirks should emerge naturally.

Even so, it can surprisingly difficult to even know what your own quirks are. If you’re having trouble thinking of them, your best bet is to ask somebody close to you. Ask your best friend or an ex-lover (or a current one). Ask a sibling, ask your mom.

Here are some of the things that you might think about:

Peculiar tastes: What’s the most embarrassing thing on your iPod? Your favorite gross-but-effective hangover breakfast? What’s your guilty pleasure when it comes to trash fiction? Do you like road trips in thunderstorms? Desert before dinner?

Eccentric habits: Is it showtunes in the shower? Conversations with your house plants?  Do you twirl your hair when nervous around a cute guy, or bite your lip when a hot girl smiles at you?

Weird hobbies: From amateur astronomy to flamenco guitar to zeppelin-flying, we all have something that we like to geek out about. Don’t be shy.

Unusual possessions: Is your prize possession 1978 custom Ducati sports bike? Or is it your mint-condition Spiderman number-one? Does your collection of vinyl put the biggest music nerds to shame?

Strange skills: Are you really, really good at climbing trees? Are you a genius at Scrabble? Do you make the world’s best strawberry daiquiri? Can you touch the tip of your nose with your tongue?!  Seriously, we need to know.

Physical oddities: Do your eyes change color when you get mad? Got a tatt of Santa Maria de Guadalupe on your shoulder? Do you look like someone famous? Or infamous?

Bizarre anecdotes: Weird things happen. No doubt some of them have happened to you. Perhaps your parents are acrobats, or you were raised by beekeepers. Were you once kicked out of band camp? Mugged by an Elvis impersonator?

Quirky humor: This one you’ll need to work out for yourself, although you might find some tips [here]. Don’t go overboard, but do give your reader a teaser of your adorably dorky sense of humor.

Of course, there are some quirks that you really probably shouldn’t talk about in your profile. You’re going to have to use your judgment on this, but as a general rule anything that’s distinctly negative can probably be skipped. You don’t need to discuss your skin condition, your diaper fetish (unless it’s that sort of site), or the fact that you tend to scream the name of your high school sweetheart during sex. Have a little common sense, and if in doubt, ask someone!