Charisma - What is it and have you got it?

Deleted member 16771 said:
I don't know what the fuck that means.
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Deleted member 16771 said:
a living avatar of the godhead, the father energy.
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Just being funny. It was too complicated, my bad
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Deleted member 16771 said:
That's not an explanation dude, lol.

If you don't want to take the opportunity to settle me (or to tell me what you're trying to tell me), then that's on you.
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Square up thot!

It's really not worth the effort, dumb joke only made sense in my head
 
I am not charismatic. At all.

Charisma seems like a natural extroverted quality and a people skill. You can learn it, and there are plenty of coaching videos on Youtube that teach it. Some people are born with it, the rest have to learn.
Though both make others feels good, charisma is different than charm. Charm is about pleasing others. Good manners usually accompany charm. Charisma is linked to self esteem. Charm is one-on-one or used in small groups, charisma gets the attention of the masses. Plenty of introverts are charming.
Charisma isn't the same as egotism. It's healthier. It makes others feel good. It motivates or inspires. It grabs attention. It is entertaining.

A member named "Jet" was probably the most charismatic person I've witnessed on the forums. She was an ENTJ. Pin has charisma, but in a different way than Jet did. (He is the 'inspiring leader' type, she was the 'motivational fun' type.)

ESFPs are stereotypically the most charismatic.
 
JustPhil said:
What do you think makes up a charismatic person?
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Great thread!


People with open and pro-social traits tend to be naturally charismatic because they have an easier time of getting on other people's wavelengths. Those who present themselves as neurotic or ornery don't have a very wide appeal (unless they also present as highly competent). I think being an engaging and entertaining personality helps too. The competent storytellers in a group generally have great charisma. I think anyone who has the power to engage with people's emotions and then shift them in a desirable way has got it.

And I think that's what it is. Charisma means instilling either positive or personally desired feelings in any given group of people. When we feel stressed, we want to be put at ease. When we feel uninspired or bored, we want to feel challenged. When we're feeling hopeless, we want to feel comforted . When we're feeling powerless, we want to be inspired to greatness. Someone who is charismatic naturally anticipates the needs of the group and gently leads the other person (or persons) into their desired state... and they do this by example.

I think authenticity in charisma is key. And that's why a too overt, put-together confidence doesn't always contribute to charisma. If people don't see you as relatable or they think you're trying to use false charm to conceal dishonest intentions, charisma is harder to come by.

Then again, slick bastards can be charismatic too. Look at Bill Clinton. He's got an incredible ability to be disarming and relatable and make you forget he's able to talk out of both sides of his mouth.

Hmm. This isn't a concept I can pin down. I'll have to think about it some more.

how charismatic do you think you are on a scale from 1 - 10?
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I have a very people-facing career and part of it involves sales. I think a degree of charisma is needed for success there and I do pretty well for myself without really trying all that hard. so... I dunno?

Also sometimes people tell me I'm funny too.
 
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JustPhil said:
I've been pondering charisma lately. There appear to be so many differing views on what makes a charismatic person.

Even within this forum, without most of us not really knowing one another in person, some people just come off as charismatic. They seem likeable perhaps by the way they write or interact with others. I don't feel it has to do a lot with the number of posts, as I've watched many people post a lot as well as interact a lot and not thought they have a high level of charisma. Some people hardly post at all but seem to have that "presence".

I'm happy to admit I have as much charisma as a empty wall. Hence the questions I suppose :)Napoleon

What do you think makes up a charismatic person, and how charismatic do you think you are on a scale from 1 - 10?
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My impression of charisma is close to the classical idea of a favour freely given of the gods, a divine grace. You see this idea most clearly in the charisms, the gifts of the Holy Spirit in modern Christianity, but I'm using that as illustration rather than exclusively.

The people I see as charismatic seem to me to be in the grip of something beyond themselves - there is something about them that resonates with the future of their communities and they are caught up in a force that they lead and channel but are not really in control of. It's as though they lose themselves in a collective that they lead to great things - not necessarily good, but great. This needn't be spectacular and in their own present - my thinking is that Jung, Van Gogh, Beethoven were charismatic in this sense, just as much as Napoleon or Gandhi. You could almost say that these guys were victims of the charisma they were gifted.
 
John K said:
LOL - but not quite what I had in mind. Groupies are more a symptom of a good band rather than a manifestation of what makes them great ;).
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Nah. Though it starts off with the narrative of him having his exclusive psychotherapy clubhouse (and said groupies), that part can be skipped, the meaningful content in that book is on these individual experiences when interacting with him.
 
dragulagu said:
Nah. Though it starts off with the narrative of him having his exclusive psychotherapy clubhouse (and said groupies), that part can be skipped, the meaningful content in that book is on these individual experiences when interacting with him.
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Yes I know- I was kidding. The women who were Jung’s disciples were remarkable psychologists in their own right. I’ve got books by some of them.
 
John K said:
The people I see as charismatic seem to me to be in the grip of something beyond themselves - there is something about them that resonates with the future of their communities and they are caught up in a force that they lead and channel but are not really in control of. It's as though they lose themselves in a collective that they lead to great things - not necessarily good, but great. This needn't be spectacular and in their own present - my thinking is that Jung, Van Gogh, Beethoven were charismatic in this sense, just as much as Napoleon or Gandhi. You could almost say that these guys were victims of the charisma they were gifted.
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I think you're onto something here, John. People are more charismatic when they're just in their own flow and tapping into the natural rhythms of the universe without their ego in their way. There's no overthinking about how they should be or what the other person is thinking. This is why a lot of young children are natural charmers. They're just being who they are and not giving a double fudge Popsicle about what you think about them.
 
sassafras said:
I think you're onto something here, John. People are more charismatic when they're just in their own flow and tapping into the natural rhythms of the universe without their ego in their way. There's no overthinking about how they should be or what the other person is thinking. This is why a lot of young children are natural charmers. They're just being who they are and not giving a double fudge Popsicle about what you think about them.
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Definitely! Their focus is away from themselves, not towards :)
 
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