When some people enter a room, all eyes turn to them.
They just have a certain something, a kind of magnetism that drags the heads of everyone present from whatever puny mortal business they were occupied with to look upon this vision of godliness.
That might be taking it a step too far, but being charismatic certainly helps you along in life. People like you more, they pay attention to you, and you actually get invited to parties instead of having to dig through the bins outside looking for canapés.
Researchers at the University of Toronto published a study that found six personality traits or prompts that point to being charismatic, and developed a set of questions for people to test themselves with.
All you have to do is ask yourself six questions, then give yourself a rating between 1 and 5 on how much it applies to you.
Fancy trying it? Just ask yourself: “I am someone who…”
- has a presence in a room
- has the ability to influence people
- knows how to lead a group
- makes people feel comfortable
- smiles at people often
- can get along with anyone
Assign yourself a rating between 1 and 5 for each of these questions, add up your total score, then divide by six. This is your charisma score, and if it’s higher than 3.7, you’re officially charismatic.
The researchers studied nearly 1,000 people in order to work out the six charisma traits. They concluded that charisma is based on two main categories: leadership and strength of presence, and being pleasant and approachable.
So how charismatic are you? Feel free to share even if it’s under 3.7, but be aware that it’s likely no one will pay attention.
