As conventional wisdom would have it – you’ll catch more flies with honey than you would with vinegar. Anyone who eats biscuits or drinks tea, however, knows that honey is too expensive to be trying to use it for the collection of insects. I know the fly and honey thing are mere symbols used to teach us the importance of being kind to people for the purpose of making friends or getting a job or whatever it is we want – but let’s be real here – people want more out of life than bugs and condiments, or friends and kindness.
We want acknowledgement, respect, advancement, best friends, fans, followers, lovers, adventure, children, VIP treatment, first-class seats and other stuff. We want to (as Kanye West would say) live the good life, which requires additional skills and effort than just simply being nice. The good news is that you can increase your chances of having a life well lived by adding or maintaining some level of charisma when interacting with other people.
The famous line “You had me at hello” from the romantic comedy “Jerry Maguire” was the result of one person attracting another with charm. That is where all of the magic happens: Charm can get you far in life. It’s what got one of my relatives out of a traffic ticket and it’s what keeps George Clooney on my grandmother’s list of favorite actors. Honey gets you a jar full of insects. Just as kindness can be a learned trait, so can charisma. With that in mind, here are some tips and tricks for those of you who have the kindness down to a science and want to kick things up a notch by being charming.
;)
Teach someone to spit like a man and then go dancing with him or her, the way Jack does in “Titanic”
Play a musical instrument for someone while singing songs, like Dean does in “Blue Valentine.”
Teach someone how to listen to birds humming, the way Ray does in “Ray.”
Book a night for two at a themed hotel suite and bring your own booze, like Dean does in “Blue Valentine.”
Give someone the hard-to-find music album that he or she was searching for, the way Darius does in “Love Jones”
Show someone a fun way to eat off of the floor, like Polly does in “Along Came Polly”
Dance with a strange creature and then give it a head start advantage on making the most important thing ever, the way main creature does in "The Maker"
Liberate someone by stabbing their throw pillows like Polly does in “Along Came Polly”
Create or designate a special song that is just for you and a particular person, the way Dean and Cindy do in "Blue Valentine"
Reassure a suicide victim on how to be loved the right way, like the Man did in "Hello Caller"
Inspire someone to let go of their inhibitions and learn salsa dancing, the way Polly does in “Along Came Polly”
What other ways to be charming would YOU add to this list?
Can YOU describe a time when being charming worked in your favor?
Who is the most charming person YOU know?
Special Announcement:
The Madlab Post continues to be available to Follow on Twitter and now...
You can also Follow my blog with Bloglovin