Can charisma be taught?
Summary
TLDRThe video script delves into the concept of charisma, its impact on elections, and its role in leadership. It highlights Rick Perry's memorable debate fumble and how charisma can influence voter choices beyond policy specifics. Experts from Yale and Harvard discuss the origins and importance of charisma, while the MIT Media Lab introduces a device to measure it. Charisma is portrayed as a blend of strength and warmth, with body language and emotional connection playing key roles. The script also touches on the potential risks of charisma in democracy, where superficial qualities might override substantive policy considerations.
Takeaways
- π Rick Perry's memorable debate moment where he forgot the names of the agencies he wanted to eliminate affected his charisma.
- π Charisma is described as a personal magnetism that can influence people to follow others based on their personality rather than specific policies.
- π Professor Joseph Nye from Harvard Kennedy School suggests that charisma plays a significant role in winning elections.
- π Charisma originates from the Greek word meaning a divine gift, indicating a natural talent or capability.
- π€ Politicians like Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney focus on projecting naturalness and warmth to connect with voters.
- π Charismatic leaders like Reagan, Clinton, and Kennedy are remembered for their ability to connect with the public.
- π Charisma is subjective; what one person finds charismatic, another might not.
- π§ George H.W. Bush won the presidency despite not being considered particularly charismatic, showing charisma isn't a prerequisite for success.
- π¬ MIT Media Lab's 'Sochiometer' device can measure charisma based on how a person speaks and moves, not just what they say.
- π Charisma can influence business decisions, with energy and consistency in speech being key factors.
- π€ Charisma can be taught, focusing on body language, emotional connection, and the balance of strength and warmth.
Q & A
What was the pivotal moment in the debate that affected Rick Perry's charisma?
-Rick Perry lost his train of thought and couldn't remember the names of the three government agencies he intended to eliminate, which was seen as a charisma-destroying incident.
According to Professor Joseph Nye, why is charisma important in winning elections?
-Charisma is a personal magnetism that attracts people to follow a leader by their personality, and most American voters respond to charisma rather than specific policy questions.
What does Mark Oppenheimer define as charisma?
-Charisma is a gift or unique capability freely given, something that comes from the gods, representing a talent that one has without necessarily having to earn or deserve it.
How does the 'Sochi ometer' measure charisma?
-The 'Sochi ometer' measures not what is said but how it is said, focusing on energy, the way one carries themselves, and the consistency and fluidity of speech.
What are the two key components of charisma according to John Neff injure?
-Charisma is a combination of strength and warmth, which can be conveyed through body language, such as standing straight to project strength and smiling genuinely to project warmth.
Why is genuine charisma difficult to fake?
-Genuine charisma is hard to fake because it involves a natural connection and emotional engagement that audiences can sense and respond to authentically.
How did the script mention the role of charisma in the election of George H.W. Bush?
-The script suggests that despite not being considered particularly charismatic, George H.W. Bush still won the election, supporting the view that charisma is subjective and varies from person to person.
What does the script suggest about the role of charisma in the election of Barack Obama?
-The script implies that Barack Obama was seen as charismatic by many, but there were also those who did not find him so, indicating that charisma can be polarizing.
What is the potential risk of charisma in elections as mentioned in the script?
-The script suggests that the risk of charisma in elections is that people may vote based on a candidate's likability or charm rather than their policies, which can lead to disastrous outcomes.
How does the script describe the impact of charisma on business decisions?
-The script mentions that the 'Sochi ometer' was used to predict the success of a business plan based on the charisma of the presenter, highlighting the influence of charisma on decision-making.
What does the script suggest about the perception of charisma in the age of television?
-The script implies that in an election dominated by television, charisma can play a significant role, potentially overshadowing the importance of policy and leading to a mediated perception of a candidate's appeal.
Outlines
π Charisma and its Impact on Elections
This paragraph discusses the concept of charisma in the context of political elections. It highlights the moment when Texas Governor Rick Perry forgot the names of the agencies he would eliminate if elected, illustrating how charisma can be lost. It emphasizes the role of charisma in winning elections, as explained by Professor Joseph Nye, who defines it as a personal magnetism that attracts followers. The paragraph also explores the idea that charisma is not just about appearance but also about the ability to connect with people on a personal level, as demonstrated by politicians like Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney. It concludes by noting that charisma can vary in perception, with examples of presidents who were seen as charismatic by some but not by all.
π Measuring Charisma: The Sochiometer and its Implications
The second paragraph delves into the scientific measurement of charisma through a device called the Sochiometer, developed by Professor Alex Pentland and his team at MIT. The device measures non-verbal cues such as energy and consistency in speech, which are key indicators of charisma. It discusses a study where the Sochiometer was used to predict the success of business plans based on the presenter's charisma alone. The paragraph also touches on the teachability of charisma, with John Neff and his company KNP Communications offering workshops to improve individuals' charisma through body language and emotional connection. It highlights the importance of strength and warmth in charisma, using examples of political figures like Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to illustrate how charisma can be perceived differently and the challenges in faking genuine charisma.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Charisma
π‘Elections
π‘Personality
π‘Leadership
π‘Policy
π‘Influence
π‘Magnetism
π‘Media
π‘Body Language
π‘Warmth
π‘Strength
Highlights
Charisma is defined as personal magnetism that can influence others to follow.
Charisma's origin is from the Greek, meaning a divinely given gift or talent.
Voters often respond to charisma rather than specific policy questions.
Rick Perry's memorable debate moment where he lost his train of thought.
Charisma can be punctured, as seen with Perry's incident, affecting public perception.
Reagan's use of humor to project warmth and personality.
Charisma varies among individuals; what one finds charismatic, another may not.
George HW Bush won the presidency despite not being seen as particularly charismatic.
Charisma measurement is subjective and can differ based on the observer's perspective.
MIT Media Lab's 'Sochiometer' measures charisma through non-verbal cues.
The Sochiometer assesses energy, hand movements, and speech fluidity.
Charisma can predict the success of business plans based on presentation style.
Charisma can be taught, focusing on emotional connection and body language.
Body language, such as standing straight and smiling, conveys strength and warmth.
President Obama's charisma was felt in 2008 but questioned in later years.
Mitt Romney's attempts at charisma were seen as insincere and ingratiating.
Voters acknowledge that charisma plays a role in their voting decisions.
Concerns that charisma could lead to voting based on surface qualities rather than policies.
Transcripts
and I will tell you it's three agencies
of government when i get there that are
gone commerce education and the what's
the third one there let's see it was an
unforgettable moment of forgetting the
third one I can't sorry oops 453
excruciating seconds in a pivotal debate
Texas Governor Rick Perry lost both his
train of thought and something much more
important well I think you can see an
incident where charisma was destroyed
Perry is attractive handsome you know
comes on strong I'm a leader so I think
there was a beginning of a feeling that
Perry was quite charismatic and then we
had this fumble of not being able to
remember the names you could almost see
the building charisma than which was
punctured Professor Joseph Nye of the
Harvard Kennedy School says though we
may not like to admit it winning
personalities do win elections charisma
is a sense of personal magnetism that
some people have there is an
attractiveness that leads some people to
be able to get others to follow them by
their personality most American voters
ultimately don't vote on specific policy
questions so they're responding to
something and it's often charisma that's
who they like it's only like but what
exactly is charisma mark Oppenheimer who
teaches at Yale has studied the subject
it's from the Greek and it generally
refers to to a gift to something freely
given something you didn't necessarily
have to earn or deserve but it's this
talent or unique capability that that
you have it came from the gods really
on the campaign trail it can be simply
divine lead this country the power of
charisma that personal connection is why
rick santorum glad handed his way
through all 99 iowa counties thanks so
much i hate on why mitt romney has
focused like a laser on projecting
naturalness and warm thank you so much
for all your help but when it comes to
genuine charisma republican candidates
have a tough act to follow i will not
make age an issue of this campaign I am
NOT going to exploit for political
purposes my opponents youth and
inexperience who Reagan had this
extraordinary ability to use humor to
project this warmth of personality in
fact in a new sunday morning poll
ranking the most charismatic presidents
Reagan came in third behind Bill Clinton
and john f kennedy but first among
republicans with the bar that high
there's a talented but bland politician
have a prayer we've had low charisma
presidents i don't think anyone ever
accused Papa butch of being particularly
charismatic I think the younger Bush
while he was he was kryptonite for some
voters he was also compelling to others
he projected a certain kind of ease with
himself a certain kind of humility but
his father I don't think anyone found
his father particularly compelling as a
as a persona but charismatic or not
George HW Bush did win which supports
Oppenheimer's view that charisma like
beauty is in the eye of the beholder
look nobody has Universal charisma thank
you god bless I think Barack Obama
connects with a lot of people as
charismatic but obviously there are
people who loathe Barack Obama and the
same thing was true of Reagan and the
same thing was true of John F Kennedy
it's true of non politicians as well who
do you consider charismatic George
Clooney Derek Jeter Oprah how about the
cookie monster now what starts with the
letter C well charisma what else so what
about you you think you have charisma
wouldn't we all like to believe that we
just radiate magnetic charm all the time
well here at MIT Media Lab researchers
say that with this little device they
actually can use science to measure your
charisma assuming of course that you
have some to measure ok so I'm wearing
this thing yes this is going to tell me
how charismatic I am it's gonna tell me
about how you move and how you speak I
better start moving yeah well you could
decide to do that yeah it's called the
Sochi ometer the brainchild of Professor
Alex pentland and his team at MIT it
measures not what you say but how you
say it so the first thing is energy you
have to be energetic it shows up in your
hands shows up in the voice the way you
sort of carry yourself and do things you
talk with your hands a lot was that a
clutch I want to be cursed to be
energetic and according to my sociology
real advantage take what happened when
the Sochi ometer was used to measure the
impact of charisma on business decisions
we could predict how well the business
plan would be rated without knowing
anything about the business plan without
knowing anything about the person and
the two things that really mattered were
did they sound like they were excited
and were they very consistent and fluid
and how they produced the speech when
the rest of the world sees you what do
they see how do they take that in if the
world's not impressed don't give up
charisma can be taught or so says John
Neff injure an Ivy League law school
grad who now runs workshops
karisma challenged to make sure that you
are emotionally connecting with them in
a way that they they get you and maybe
even see themselves in you neff injure
and his partners at knp communications
defined charisma as a combination of
strength and warmth beginning again with
body language our older relatives
probably told all of us at one point
stand up straight smile and that is
actually the basic formula standing up
straight says I am here to be taken
account of I'm here to be taken
seriously don't mess with me and that
project strength on the other hand
smiling genuinely projects a laudable
Reagan and
all a smile that projects both warmth
and strength there are two different
things going on in the face and so on
the bottom half of the face it's just a
little bit of a smile so you got warmth
going on the bottom that's why the
warmth is coming from but what goes on
in the eyes there's an intention to the
look in the eyes there's a determination
and that intensity connote strength and
intensity and charisma that President
Obama's fans feel he showed in 2008 but
fear he's lost in the dreary business of
governing one of the things that Barack
Obama does that gets in his way a little
bit is often when he's giving a speech
or a more formal address he'll raise his
chin a little bit and when he raises his
chin that has some authority to it but
it also distances himself from us and
what happens is literally he's looking
down his nose at us since makes him seem
arrogant if I get a little off track
neff injures just as hard on Mitt Romney
the favorite in Tuesday's New Hampshire
primary there's a big gap he looks like
the kind of person that a movie
producers we cast as the president in a
big movie but it's not quite that easy
what's wrong he tries to ham it up a
little bit and he he's got that big
smile out there and gosh darn it he's
going to be friendly and it comes off as
a little ingratiating which is to say he
wants to be likable but he's not
necessarily actually caring about the
way people that you it seems fake real
charisma is hard to fake and in the new
sunday morning poll three out of four
voters say that indefinable something
will play a role in their vote one in
four says a major role not everyone
finds this reassuring I would not like
to see you know democracy people voting
simply on whether a person has a nice
smile or a glad hand because sometimes
that can lead to disastrous policies but
in an election dominated so much by
television that seems to be a big risk
and that's one of the great dangers we
which is as it becomes more of a
mediated phenomena what do we really
have charisma charisma
ah
Jarvis
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