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Charisma: the X Factor

Angel

Angel

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Charisma

This thread was inspired by a remark made by DH Kirkwood in a post here:
https://www.debatepolitics.com/dati...356909-bad-boy-syndrome-2.html#post1070092053

What is it?

How do you get it?

How do you get past it?

What are its dangers?

What are its advantages?

Who has it today?

Who's had it in the past?

Is there a connection between charisma and character?

Is there a connection between charisma and beauty?

Is there a connection between charisma and truth?

What is your take on charisma?

Is is still possible in this age of narcissism?​
 
Charisma is simply the ability to be immediately likeable. Its relative.
 
Maybe the best way to understand charisma is to study those famous people who did NOT have charisma.


The name Richard M. Nixon comes immediately to mind.

Even his supporters admit that they do not understand why he became a politician, for he did not have the so-called "common touch."

He was not adept at small talk.

His attempts at humor were cringe-worthy.

Yet he was elected president two times because of hard work and the mood of the nation.

*****

Senator Barack Obama had charisma; Senator McCain and Governor Romney did not.

Mr. Donald J. Trump had charisma; Secretary Hillary Clinton did not (although her husband did).

*****

Maybe the only thing for sure is: One either has charisma or one does not have it. You cannot teach yourself to have it.

You know how some people (even ordinary people) seem to attract attention when they walk into a room. That is charisma, I guess.
 
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TheParser said:
...Maybe the only thing for sure is: One either has charisma or one does not have it. You cannot teach yourself to have it....
Click to expand...
I do believe you're right, pace Dale Carnegie and his 15 million readers.
 
Charisma
Charisma measures your ability to interact effectively with others. It includes such factors as confidence and eloquence, and it can represent a charming or commanding personality.

Charisma Checks
A Charisma check might arise when you try to influence or entertain others, when you try to make an impression or tell a convincing lie, or when you are navigating a tricky social situation. The Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion skills reflect aptitude in certain kinds of Charisma checks.

Deception. Your Charisma (Deception) check determines whether you can convincingly hide the truth, either verbally or through your actions. This deception can encompass everything from misleading others through ambiguity to telling outright lies. Typical situations include trying to fast-talk a guard, con a merchant, earn money through gambling, pass yourself off in a disguise, dull someone's suspicions with false assurances, or maintain a straight face while telling a blatant lie.

Intimidation. When you attempt to influence someone through overt threats, hostile actions, and physical violence, the GM might ask you to make a Charisma (Intimidation) check. Examples include trying to pry information out of a prisoner, convincing street thugs to back down from a confrontation, or using the edge of a broken bottle to convince a sneering vizier to reconsider a decision.

Performance. Your Charisma (Performance) check determines how well you can delight an audience with music, dance, acting, storytelling, or some other form of entertainment.

Persuasion. When you attempt to influence someone or a group of people with tact, social graces, or good nature, the GM might ask you to make a Charisma (Persuasion) check. Typically, you use persuasion when acting in good faith, to foster friendships, make cordial requests, or exhibit proper etiquette. Examples of persuading others include convincing a chamberlain to let your party see the king, negotiating peace between warring tribes, or inspiring a crowd of townsfolk.

Other Charisma Checks. The GM might call for a Charisma check when you try to accomplish tasks like the following:

Find the best person to talk to for news, rumors, and gossip
Blend into a crowd to get the sense of key topics of conversation
Spellcasting Ability
Bards, paladins, sorcerers, and warlocks use Charisma as their spellcasting ability, which helps determine the saving throw DCs of spells they cast.
 
The lack of interest in charisma demonstrated by this thread's poor showing, to the extent that it is related to the lack of understanding of the concept, should be a cause of concern to thoughtful citizens of the world. Hitler had charisma. If we don't understand charisma, we are more likely to fall under its sway.
 
Angel said:
The lack of interest in charisma demonstrated by this thread's poor showing, to the extent that it is related to the lack of understanding of the concept, should be a cause of concern to thoughtful citizens of the world.
Click to expand...



Maybe your thread would have received more replies had you placed it in, let's say, the "General Political Discussion" forum with a provocative title such as "Does Donald J. Trump have charisma?"


Best wishes
 
TheParser said:
Maybe the best way to understand charisma is to study those famous people who did NOT have charisma.


The name Richard M. Nixon comes immediately to mind.

Even his supporters admit that they do not understand why he became a politician, for he did not have the so-called "common touch."

He was not adept at small talk.

His attempts at humor were cringe-worthy.

Yet he was elected president two times because of hard work and the mood of the nation.

*****

Senator Barack Obama had charisma; Senator McCain and Governor Romney did not.

Mr. Donald J. Trump had charisma; Secretary Hillary Clinton did not (although her husband did).

*****

Maybe the only thing for sure is: One either has charisma or one does not have it. You cannot teach yourself to have it.

You know how some people (even ordinary people) seem to attract attention when they walk into a room. That is charisma, I guess.
Click to expand...

Good observations!

Which of the 25 Democrats running for president do you think has more charisma than Donald Trump - if you think any do? I can't think of any, other than I've often posted that Joe Biden could sneer in his own style as well as Trump does in his - and the Joe Biden has always been very skilled at talking to old people, particularly old white women - a form of "charisma."

Starting with the TV era and the Kennedy - Nixon debate (with it claimed Kennedy won among those who watched on TV and Nixon won by those who listened on the radio) - can you think of a presidential race where the candidate with less charisma won? I think the factors of "somehow is just believable" (Carter over Ford) and "just seeming like a regular down-to-earth person" (W Bush over Gore) are forms of charisma.

With the advent of TV, is it as simple as the most charismatic candidate wins - and everything else if ultimately completely irrelevant?
 
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