Article

What Makes People Charismatic, and How You Can Be, Too

Simple tips to break through your social anxieties and make real, genuine connections with others.

Bryan Clark

The New York Times, 2019

Read the article

Read or listen offline

Amazon Kindle

automatisch generiertes Audio

1×

Melden Sie sich an, um die Audiozusammenfassung anzuhören.

automatisch generiertes Audio

Editorial Rating

Qualities

Applicable
For Beginners
Inspiring

Recommendation

Pop quiz hotshot: Think of someone who oozes charisma. Maybe you’ll conjure images of suave James Bond, captivating Beyoncé, or confident Barack Obama. Now try to define what it means to be charismatic. That’s a tougher task. Charisma is an enigmatic quality. You know it when you see it, but what exactly is that “it” factor? Journalist Bryan Clark attempts to define charisma and explain how you can increase yours.

Summary

Charisma is not an innate skill.

As a species, humans are naturally drawn to charismatic people — TV personalities like Oprah Winfrey, fictional characters like James Bond, or historical figures like Martin Luther King, for instance. But what exactly is charisma? It’s an enigmatic attribute that is difficult to define.

Charisma has beguiled experts throughout the ages. The ancient Greeks described charisma as a “gift of grace,” believing that it was a divine trait bestowed on some but not all. However, charisma is a learned skill that you can strengthen with practice.

People who exhibit charisma radiate magnetism.

Individuals who boast high levels of charisma have magnetic personalities — people are drawn to them, often without knowing why.

Your ability to gauge another person’s charisma likely developed for evolutionary reasons. During every interaction, your brain processes scores of data...

About the Author

Bryan Clark is a journalist who examines the intersection of technology and culture. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Medium, Business Insider, and HuffPost, among others.

What Makes People Charismatic, and How You Can Be, Too

Simple tips to break through your social anxieties and make real, genuine connections with others.

Read or listen offline

Editorial Rating

Qualities

Recommendation

Summary

Charisma is not an innate skill.

People who exhibit charisma radiate magnetism.

About the Author

My Highlights

Comment on this summary

More on this topic

Learners who read this summary also read

Related Channels