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- Reverse charisma (127)
Welcome back to the 1st Law Newsletter.
Reverse charisma
“In the torrid London summer of 1886, William Gladstone was up against Benjamin Disraeli for the post of prime minister of the United Kingdom. This was the Victorian era, so whoever won was going to rule half the world. In the very last week before the election, both men happened to take the same young woman out to dinner. Naturally, the press asked her what impressions the rivals had made. She said, “After dining with Mr. Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest person in England. But after dining with Mr. Disraeli, I thought I was the cleverest person in England.” Guess who won the election? It was the man who made others feel intelligent, impressive, and fascinating: Benjamin Disraeli.”
It can be very hard to be interesting. It is much easier to give people the impression of being interesting by being interested in them. Simply asking questions and having people talk about themselves can be very effective in winning people over. Actually listening and responding thoughtfully to what they say, trying to move the conversation forward, not just waiting for your turn to speak—that is reverse charisma. Sometimes that is all it takes to stand out as a thoughtful and charismatic individual.
Quotes to go
“You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing.”
Thanks for reading!
Lucas