How would you define charisma in magic?
- Thread starter SportsMagician54
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Charisma is the ability to relate to people and quickly gain rapport. It's a single word that sums up social skills and leadership.
Christopher is pretty much on point here; it's not something you can actually "learn" you either have it or you don't (though some semblance of it can be learned & developed over time). I pointed this out yesterday on some forum I was visiting, showing how Colin Keys, a far less creative and technically skilled showman, managed to go so far on AGT vs. Kevin James, a master showman and one of magic's leading innovators -- Kev is an awesome dude but let's face it; he's never been that bouncy, fresh faced, cocky youth; Kevin's "confidence" comes from a different place than Colin's and certainly not rooted in the sex appeal factor that Colin manipulates quite well. . . it will come to haunt him by the time he hits middle age, possibly sooner (I got lots of breaks as a cute kid but once hitting my 20's vs. my teens, the opportunities simply weren't as abundant e.g. young & cute and full of energy is one aspect of Charisma, but it MUST BE accompanied by pure confidence, which frequently looks like cockiness.)
Harry Anderson was Charismatic as is Ricky Jay, neither of them on the "catch of the day" list but they both radiate a unique sense of charm THAT WORKS FOR THEM. . . this is the other side of Charisma; knowing who & what you are but more so, being comfortable in that persona (not being comfortable is the biggest reason so many people fail over and over again in life; something I've learned the hard way).
Barrack Obama is Charismatic as was Adolf Hitler, but why?
Both of them are cheerleaders! Ignore the darker side of Hitler's reign and look at all the good he did for the German people and bringing Germany itself, from the brink of total devastation on multiple levels. Most historians agree that had he stayed put and not gone after Poland and subsequent conquest and had he been more positively supportive of creating a Jewish state (other the state of non-existence) he would have most likely won the Nobel Prize and gone down in history as one of the greatest political leaders of the early/mid-20th century; especially when you pause and recognize that a large percentage of British, American and Canadian industrial leaders and political personalities were more supportive than not, even embracing some of the early policies of the man. But this is stuff we rarely hear about.
Obama gave this nation a unique sense of hope but in so doing, became a sacrificial lamb. Yet, as an orator, he's one of the best spoken and commanding politicians that's been seen in decades if not generations; like him or his policies or not, we must give him kudos in this area. It is this sense of confidence and seeming connection with "the people" vs. those "people" dressed in corporation clothing, that makes him "more", formidable and appealing. In my memory the only other activist/politician that lived up to this standard was Bobby Kennedy (Reagan don't count in that he was a train B-rate Actor. . . as Bob Hope frequently pointed out).
Confidence or "KNOWING" as one of my acting coaches used to say, is the real key; high energy enveloping that confidence and idealism are the other ingredients.
Charisma within show biz frequently gets confused with sexual/sensuality, which is why the late 20th and early 21st centuries have fewer "legendary older actors" on the screen and more so, fewer that don't have a sculpted physical shape about themselves. but look at Gov. Christ Cristis. . . he's FAT and still charismatic. . . Albert Goshman wasn't just fat, he was a slob that people just loved; they loved him enough to ignore the food and stains on his shirts & ties and so he went down as one of the greats.
I guess "figuring out" the idea of charisma is as big a challenge as figuring out the idea of God, Love, or (according to my various heterosexual friends) women. . .
Harry Anderson was Charismatic as is Ricky Jay, neither of them on the "catch of the day" list but they both radiate a unique sense of charm THAT WORKS FOR THEM. . . this is the other side of Charisma; knowing who & what you are but more so, being comfortable in that persona (not being comfortable is the biggest reason so many people fail over and over again in life; something I've learned the hard way).
Barrack Obama is Charismatic as was Adolf Hitler, but why?
Both of them are cheerleaders! Ignore the darker side of Hitler's reign and look at all the good he did for the German people and bringing Germany itself, from the brink of total devastation on multiple levels. Most historians agree that had he stayed put and not gone after Poland and subsequent conquest and had he been more positively supportive of creating a Jewish state (other the state of non-existence) he would have most likely won the Nobel Prize and gone down in history as one of the greatest political leaders of the early/mid-20th century; especially when you pause and recognize that a large percentage of British, American and Canadian industrial leaders and political personalities were more supportive than not, even embracing some of the early policies of the man. But this is stuff we rarely hear about.
Obama gave this nation a unique sense of hope but in so doing, became a sacrificial lamb. Yet, as an orator, he's one of the best spoken and commanding politicians that's been seen in decades if not generations; like him or his policies or not, we must give him kudos in this area. It is this sense of confidence and seeming connection with "the people" vs. those "people" dressed in corporation clothing, that makes him "more", formidable and appealing. In my memory the only other activist/politician that lived up to this standard was Bobby Kennedy (Reagan don't count in that he was a train B-rate Actor. . . as Bob Hope frequently pointed out).
Confidence or "KNOWING" as one of my acting coaches used to say, is the real key; high energy enveloping that confidence and idealism are the other ingredients.
Charisma within show biz frequently gets confused with sexual/sensuality, which is why the late 20th and early 21st centuries have fewer "legendary older actors" on the screen and more so, fewer that don't have a sculpted physical shape about themselves. but look at Gov. Christ Cristis. . . he's FAT and still charismatic. . . Albert Goshman wasn't just fat, he was a slob that people just loved; they loved him enough to ignore the food and stains on his shirts & ties and so he went down as one of the greats.
I guess "figuring out" the idea of charisma is as big a challenge as figuring out the idea of God, Love, or (according to my various heterosexual friends) women. . .
This could also be called stage presence in some cases. (Also can't be taught or bought.) The real trick is to just have confidence in yourself and your material. It also helps to not be afraid of something going wrong. If it does, keep going. Have no fear of failing. Not finding someone's card is not the end of the world OR your career. Also conviction. Believe in what you are doing and enjoy it and other will too regardless of what occurs.
I would tend to disagree with this. Charisma is attained through certainty in one's cause. A charismatic person believes every word they say, they believe in the rightness of their goals, and they know how to explain it in a way other people can understand. All social skills can be learned, and charisma is one of those skills.
A charismatic person is secure in his convictions. He knows how to relate to people, but he makes his own ego secondary to the message. This is where a lot of politicians trip up. They make the message secondary to themselves. And while they might still win elections on cult of personality (or less scrupulous methods), they generally lack the ability to maintain a lasting popularity, even among their own supporters.
One of my favorite examples of a charismatic individual is Viggo Mortensen. He's an actor, writer, poet, photographer, painter, he speaks 4 languages, he's very affable and personable, dedicated to his work, a caring father... He's like an old-fashioned movie star. When he finished his last day of shooting for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the stunt crew, who consisted primarily of beefy Maori rugby hooligans, were so taken with him that they performed a haka in his honor.
To be charismatic, think of it this way: at all times and in all ways, try to be more like The Most Interesting Man in the World.
And then he gave one a headbutt and realized he had to do it to them all. So he walked away dizzy with a welt on his forehead. I like Viggo, he's good people. Another couple examples that are blazing around the internet seem to be Tom Hiddleston and Jennifer Lawrence.
I've been having a hell of a time putting all of my thoughts around this into words. I think that is because even though I've worked on social skills for a long time, I did it all myself by observing people and comparing my behavior to the norm and finding a middle ground between the two. It wasn't until I studied magic that I really started breaking down and labeling these various skills. Once again, everything I'm writing is just falling apart as it comes out.
Charisma can be learned. For some people (myself included) it can take a long time. I started nearly twenty years ago and I would say that it's only in the last three years or so that I don't feel foolish thinking that I can confidently hold a conversation with pretty much anyone, anywhere and that I can generally take charge of any situation should the need arise.
I firmly believe that every magician should study social skills. We need to be socially savvy. We need to be able to be the leader - instantly. We need to be likeable and respected and charming. Even if we are not performing a suave character, we have to be able to command the room when we want to.
As Steerpike says, social skills are skills. They can be learned, they can be improved. It just takes work.