Chapter 1

Have you ever been around someone genuinely charismatic? Not the everyday pretty, or smart, or funny- truly charismatic. When they say something, they describe a vision of the world, and it’s not just a world you want to be in- it’s a world that seems fundamentally more *real* than mundane reality. People don’t just follow them because they like their ideas or think they deserve to succeed- they follow them because the idea of doing anything else feels like an absurdity.


Certain people have it. Some celebrities, some politicians, some business leaders. You can tell, when you’re around it. Maybe there was someone in your high school who had a taste of it- when they told you a plan for the weekend, the idea of suggesting something else to do seemed insane. A girl, maybe, who changed everything when she walked in the room- all eyes were on her, and whatever she said, went. Maybe you’ve worked for someone who had a hint of it- when they walked into your store, you suddenly realized why they owned the business, and you were working a cash register.


Some combination of animal magnetism and instinctive behavior. Maybe it’s genetic. You can learn some of it; take speech classes and learn to control your body language, change your appearance to be more attention getting. But it’s not really about attraction; there are ugly, short men who models will fling themselves at for their attention. It’s not about being an ‘alpha’- sometimes the person is the quietest in the room. It’s something about vision- seeing a different future then us regular folks can see, and having such sheer force of will that the world starts falling into place around that vision.

It’s not necessarily a good thing. People who have ‘it’ can make you break your own boundaries before you’ve even realized you were getting close to it. Sometimes, people who have ‘it’ just waste it- building a company that makes a lot of money, but could disappear from the earth without making a real difference. Sometimes, people use it to do terrible things.

Maybe, the key is appetite- people who have that charisma just *want* more then the average person. There are people who will ask you to give them anything- a politician who will ask you to give money, and volunteer, and call people at dinnertime. A boss who will make you work overtime and miss family events. Even a lover who will make you alienate your family and friends, so you can give more and more time to them. Once you say yes once, it gets easier, and easier to keep saying yes. And they will never notice your sacrifice- it will never even occur to that politician that you missed your daughter’s recital to volunteer for him, or to your stunning new girlfriend that you might have wanted to do Christmas with your family, because their vision is so all-consuming.

Anyways, I’m not sure why I brought this up. She’ll be awake soon, and I have to help get her breakfast ready.