Charming the morning dew right off the honeysuckle…

I was having a discussion with a friend of mine about politics, and politicians, and the conversation inevitably lead toward “charm”, or charisma, and more to the point…if I had one or the other.

I’m going to drag some words into this post by people more erudite than I. Oscar Wilde said

“All charming people, I fancy, are spoiled. It is the secret of their attraction”

But seriously…what makes some people liked, and some people despised for doing the same thing, saying the same words, and acting in the same way? Can we put a name on that quality that causes certain people to be funny, and others to be serious and mean? What is the difference between sarcasm and mean? Cruelty and witty?

But think about it…we ALL know people who just rub others the wrong way–who, by a look, a turn of phrase, or even tone of voice, give off such a bad impression that we want nothing to do with them. Even while others can say things on par with what they say, and somehow manage to get away with it..

I think another good friend put it best…”Adrian, I’m surprised you haven’t been punched in the face yet”….;) All in due time, all in due time..

I’ll be honest. I know that I can be arrogant, egotistical, and too smart for my own good. I don’t suffer fools gladly, and consider myself an intellectual. I can be sarcastic, witty, and even…catty. However, most of my friends and co-workers, if asked, would say that I can carry it off. Most people. Not all…LOL. So what makes me different from another person, who would come off in a far worse light? Is it charm? Charisma? Or some ineffable quality that can’t be defined?

In any event, while charm isn’t going to get you everything you want…you will have better odds. And I guess I use my charm to compensate for the other defects. Still, at the end of the day, I’d rather be charming and funny than dour and mean.