311 Likes And Dislikes (The Only List You’ll Need)

February 16, 2024

37 5 8 minutes read

If you’re looking for something to talk about, few things are as useful as knowing the other person’s random likes and dislikes — particularly those you share with them.

“So, I hear you have a special love for bees.” And you’re off and running.

This could be the start of a unique and lasting friendship.

Even if you don’t know their particular leanings, though, the likes and dislikes list in this post will give you plenty of ideas.

311 Likes and Dislikes

We’ve broken up this list into two to focus separately on common likes and dislikes. That said, what one person likes might repel another, and vice-versa.

We’ve done our best to make the following lists as useful as they are entertaining.

List of Likes

Some of the items could just as easily end up on the dislikes list for some people.

If you bring any of the following up as conversation starters, remember to respect the other person’s opinion (even if it makes you rethink the idea of a second date).

1. Bees and beekeeping
2. Candles and candle-making
3. Essential oils
4. DIY Repair
5. Woodcrafting
6. Comic books
7. Crocheting or Knitting
8. Quilting
9. Tutoring
10. Gardening
11. Writing books
12. Journaling
13. Scrapbooking
14. Interior decorating and design
15. Book cover design
16. Making the perfect cup of tea
17. Making espresso drinks
18. Mixology (cocktails)
19. Blanket forts
20. Tree forts or treehouses
21. Foraging
22. Writing poetry
23. PDA (public displays of affection)
24. Organization (all the things)
25. Skiing or snowboarding
26. Roller skating or ice skating
27. Crystals
28. Tarot
29. Windchimes
30. Painting
31. Drawing
32. Sculpting
33. Music (their favorite kind)
34. Gaming (video games, board games, card games, etc.)
35. Baking
36. Cooking
37. Road trips
38. Photography
39. Horror fiction/horror movies
40. Astronomy
41. Astrology
42. Clouds, mist, and fog
43. Snow
44. Thunderstorms
45. Rain
46. Familiar scents (fresh cut grass, tobacco, cinnamon, etc.)
47. The ocean / the beach
48. Rivers and streams
49. Lakes and lakeshores
50. Forests/wilderness
51. Mountains
52. Traveling
53. Going on retreats
54. Urban exploring
55. Hiking
56. Camping
57. Abandoned buildings
58. Wildflowers
59. Cultivated flowers (roses, peonies, orchids, etc.)
60. Colors (their favorites)
61. Sports
62. Movies
63. Plays / stage productions
64. Pets (their favorites, if they have any)
65. Traditional dishes
66. Accessories
67. Making jewelry (or buying handcrafted jewelry)
68. Holidays
69. Learning languages
70. Collecting
71. Mythology and folklore
72. Building models
73. Witchcraft — green/herbal, kitchen, hearth, etc.
74. Modeling
75. Cosmetology
76. Bird-watching
77. Soaking up the ambiance (of a favorite place)
78. Nature walks
79. Bicycling
80. Motorcycles or dirtbikes
81. Online classes
82. Stonecrafting / stone-carving
83. Papercrafting (keepsake cards, etc.)
84. Nail art, manicures, and pedicures

85. Spa treatments
86. Landscaping
87. Car maintenance
88. Creating gift baskets
89. Soap making
90. Soap carving
91. Social media (their favorite channels)
92. Scavenger hunts
93. Incense
94. Making flower crowns and leis
95. Jumping in puddles
96. Canoeing or kayaking
97. Fishing
98. Playing a musical instrument
99. Sunrises or sunsets
100. Web design (CSS, Javascript, etc.)
101. Dance (ballroom, freestyle, etc.)
102. Reading books to others
103. Lockpicking
104. Exploring historical buildings/monuments
105. Harvesting fresh fruits and vegetables
106. Stand up comedy
107. Decorating for parties or holidays
108. Massages (giving or receiving)
109. Skipping stones
110. Ugly sweaters
111. Numerology
112. Storytelling
113. Making lists / Planning
114. Tattoos
115. Piercings (ears, nose, navel, etc.)
116. Hair coloring
117. Pyrotechnics / Fireworks
118. Sandcastles
119. Ice sculptures
120. Haunted houses
121. Slam poetry
122. Trains
123. Storm chasing
124. Glass blowing
125. Pottery / ceramics
126. Mapmaking
127. Snow globes
128. Fossils
129. Postcards
130. Rock climbing
131. Seashells
132. Dollhouses and dollhouse furniture
133. Porcelain dolls
134. Yoga, Pilates, etc.
135. Word puzzles
136. Jigsaw puzzles
137. Sudoku
138. Comfortable silence
139. Simplicity
140. Surfing or windsurfing
141. Jumping on a trampoline
142. Cemeteries
143. Hang gliding or parasailing
144. Diving (into water or with a parachute)
145. Open windows
146. Swings
147. Roller coasters & other thrill rides
148. Lounging in a hammock
149. Martial arts
150. Spectacular views
151. Falling leaves
152. Dumpster diving (“Look what Uncle Chuck got me!”)
153. Falconry
154. Guessing something correctly
155. Gnome collecting
156. A really good sneeze
157. Podcasts
158. Adult coloring books
159. Broadway musicals
160. Hot air balloons
161. Superheroes
162. Steampunk
163. Cyberpunk
164. Archery
165. Documentaries
166. Quiet nights at home
167. Fleece-lined socks
168. Hooded scarves
169. All-you-can-eat shrimp
170. Cookie butter

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List of Dislikes

Some of these common dislikes might be something in which your conversation partner takes an interest. One person’s dislikes list can contain another’s buried treasure.

1. Animal cruelty
2. Styrofoam
3. Chalkboards and chalk
4. Mess or Clutter
5. Trust-building exercises
6. Closed spaces
7. Extreme cold
8. Heat and humidity
9. Perfume or specific scent
10. Spiders
11. Snakes
12. Insects that get into the house (flies, gnats, ants, etc.)
13. Cards that are meant to be kept
14. Scavenger hunts
15. Complaining
16. Improv
17. Crowds
18. Paperwork
19. Awkward silences
20. Funerals
21. Running errands
22. Surprises
23. Acne
24. Scars from experiences you’d rather forget
25. Stomach flu and food poisoning
26. Explosive… anything
27. Escape rooms
28. Parkour
29. Certain clothing styles best left to the past
30. Certain hairstyles best forgotten (e.g., the mullet)
31. Clowns / mimes / puppets
32. Cleaning
33. Alarm clocks
34. Five-alarm chili
35. Eating contests
36. Pranks
37. Getting lost
38. Hazing
39. Puns
40. Moshing (also called slam dancing or slamming)
41. Flash mobs
42. Adult cartoons
43. Riddles
44. Craft parties
45. MLM parties
46. Certain instruments
47. Muzak/elevator music
48. KidsBop
49. Talking during movies
50. The reverberations from a neighbor’s heavy bass
51. Glitter
52. Adding the f-bomb to every phrase
53. Leggings as pants
54. Tights as pants
55. Pants under skirts
56. Socks with sandals
57. The neighbor’s eye-watering cooking spices filling the air in your apartment
58. Tepid soup
59. Lukewarm coffee
60. Flavored coffee creamers
61. People riding horses like it’s NOTHING
62. Tight, fitted clothing
63. Loose, oversized clothing
64. Arguing for the sake of arguing
65. Yo-yos
66. Dioramas
67. Politics
68. Facial hair
69. Gangsta rap
70. Boy bands
71. Gossip
72. Mushrooms
73. Guests walking barefoot in your house
74. Facebook

75. Flashing lights
76. Peeps
77. Jump scares
78. Felt-tip markers
79. Light beer
80. That guy who always pees in the pool
81. Edible underwear (why?)
82. Crickets… in the house
83. Mugs that get too hot in the microwave
84. PewDiePie
85. Man hammocks
86. Speedos
87. Hiccups
88. When you’re about to sneeze and then… nothing
89. Scarecrows
90. Mazes
91. Scat singing (jazz)
92. Speaking in code
93. Necromancy
94. Hangnails
95. Decorating with hunting trophies
96. Queerbaiting (see Supernatural or Netflix’s Voltron)
97. Shows that kill off their gay characters (see Supernatural, The 100, etc.)
98. Topiaries
99. Play-doh in the carpet
100. The Epilady
101. Sweat on exercise equipment
102. Cleaning out the fridge
103. Hackers bullying small children on Minecraft, Roblox, etc.
104. Assembly required furniture with missing hardware
105. Tinfoil hats
106. Bronzing lotion
107. Nair hair removal cream
108. Storage closets full of stacked storage bins
109. Tattoos with spelling errors
110. Tattoos of your S.O.’s name
111. Lima beans
112. Overhearing something you can’t unhear from your dorm room
113. Instant coffee
114. Picasso
115. Junk mail
116. Being put “on hold” after waiting several minutes with a full bladder
117. Snoring
118. Miniature golf
119. Whining
120. Sandalwood
121. Hallmark movies
122. Attending school concerts
123. Cold fries
124. Certain words (e.g., moist, supple, guaranteed, okey-dokey…)
125. Jean jackets
126. Touching or stepping on someone’s chewing gum
127. Lukewarm beer
128. Ketchup
129. Hats
130. Having your picture taken
131. Deadlines
132. Burnt coffee (too much time on the heating element)
133. Shopping on Black Friday
134. Grocery stores on the weekend
135. Fairy tales where couples get married after spending five minutes together
136. Celebrities that charge for an autograph
137. Mean girls (or wannabe mean girls)
138. Leaky pens
139. Holes in the toe or heel of your socks
140. Breaking in new shoes
141. Your college roommate treating your bed like her couch

Why Is It Good to Know Your Likes and Dislikes?

Knowing your likes and dislikes is an integral part of self-awareness. It allows you to navigate life more effectively by giving you an insight into what will bring you joy, satisfaction, and comfort.

Here are a few reasons why it’s essential to be aware of what you like or don’t like:

It can help you make better decisions: Understanding what makes you happy and what doesn’t gives you more clarity when making big or small decisions. You can act quickly and decisively once you know what works for you and what doesn’t.
It allows you to explore and develop your interests: Once you know what kind of activities make you feel content, happy, or energized, you can work on indulging in them more often. Doing so will help bring out the best in yourself and help you build new skills.
It can help you identify potential opportunities: Knowing your preferences can give you a better idea of the work or activities most suitable for you. This can help you make more informed decisions about career paths or courses and classes to take.
It can help you form meaningful relationships with others: When you better understand yourself and your preferences, it allows you to connect with people who share similar interests. This will foster deeper and more meaningful relationships than might otherwise have been impossible.

20 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Likes and Dislikes

Whether you’re just starting your journey of self-discovery or looking to deepen your understanding of yourself, these questions will help you gain valuable insights into what makes you happy and fulfilled.

So, let’s dive in.

1. What is my favorite indoor or outdoor activity?

2. What food do I always enjoy eating?

3. What topic can I talk about for hours?

4. If I had more free time, what would I do with it?

5. What subject do I enjoy learning about the most?

6. What makes me feel most energized?

7. When do I feel the most content and peaceful?

8. What type of music soothes my soul?

9. If I could pick any activity to practice daily, what would it be?

10. What activities make me lose track of time?

11. What type of environment is conducive to my productivity and creativity?

12. What would I rather spend my money on experiences or material possessions?

13. Would I rather be out with friends or stay in by myself?

14. What genre of movies do I prefer?

15. What quality do I look for most in a friend?

16. What kind of books do I like to read?

17. What type of social interaction brings me the most joy?

18. What is my favorite mode of transportation?

19. Do I prefer to talk on the phone or send text messages?

20. Do I prefer quiet drives or lively car rides?

5-Minute Likes Dislikes Exercise

Unlock your preferences and gain clarity in life by trying this simple likes and dislikes exercise. This 5-minute exercise is a fun way to clarify what you like and don’t like. Grab a notebook and pen or open a digital document and create two columns: “Likes” and “Dislikes.”

Think about different aspects of your life, such as food, fun activities, pet peeves, and work responsibilities. Now look over the list above once more and write down whatever likes and dislikes that jump out at you.

Next, write down a few words describing why you like or don’t like. For example, if one of your dislikes was “being micromanaged” at work then you could state the reason as “I don’t feel trusted in the role I was hired to do.”

Final Thoughts

With this extensive list of common likes and dislikes, now you have the key to unlock your preferences and share them when someone asks you. Try the 5-min likes/dislikes exercise again to discover your inner compass and deeper understanding about what makes you tick.