CHARMING
DEFINITION:having a pleasing personality; being appealing to others

CATEGORIES:achievement, identity, interactive

SIMILAR ATTRIBUTES:alluring, appealing, captivating, charismatic, magnetic

POSSIBLE CAUSES:
Possessing confidence and a strong sense of self
Having a positive outlook on life
Being highly intuitive and empathetic
Having a kind nature
Being highly social; getting energy from being with other people

ASSOCIATED BEHAVIORS:
Having a good sense of humor
Being attentive to others; having good listening skills
Playfulness
Greeting others with enthusiasm
Being polite (holding the door, letting others enter first, etc.)
Having good recall of faces, names, and past interactions
Curiosity
Using a person’s name during conversation
Friendliness
Being respectful of others
Patience
Being a hospitable and caring host
Smiling and nodding in encouragement as someone speaks
Speaking in a voice that has warmth and energy
Noticing personal details and offering compliments
Building people up when talking about them
Offering honesty and behaving in a trustworthy fashion
Accepting compliments with grace and modesty
Including others; never excluding them
Attentiveness; making sure the needs of others are being met
Offering light touches while socializing
Inviting people into one’s personal space
Deftly handling negative people by refocusing on positive avenues
Generosity
Being aware of one’s image
Being well-dressed and well-groomed
Appearing relaxed and at ease
Having good posture
Maintaining strong eye contact
Asking questions to show that one is paying attention and interested
Having worldly knowledge that allows one to offer opinions and add to conversations

ASSOCIATED THOUGHTS:
I bet she’ll thaw a bit if I ask about her family. Everyone likes to talk about their kids.
Dad looks totally uncomfortable. Maybe a joke will make him feel better.
That poor woman, herding six kids through the bus station. I’ll see if I can carry her bags.
Claire always wears that brooch. I’ll have to ask why it’s so important to her.

ASSOCIATED EMOTIONS:amusement, confidence, eagerness, happiness, pride, satisfaction

POSITIVE ASPECTS:Charming characters always seem to know what to do or say to put people at ease and win trust. They can be caring and considerate and make the people around them feel special and unique. These characters are the center of attention not because of how they look or the power they wield, but because people are attracted to their energy and appealing manner.

NEGATIVE ASPECTS:Charming characters can use their intuitive senses for good or for ill. Even if they resist the temptation to use manipulation to get what they want, they can unknowingly intimidate others. Those who are less charismatic may feel that they will never measure up or be loved and respected as much as the charming character. Taken a step further, these resentful feelings could easily turn to envy and jealousy, making these characters vulnerable to attack.

EXAMPLE FROM FILM:Ferris Bueller (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) has a knack for winning people over. When he feigns illness and skips school, his classmates are so overcome with concern that they organize a fundraiser in support of his recovery. His parents are just as smitten with Ferris, seeing him as the ideal child and never noticing his constant deceptions and insistence on breaking the rules. Ferris is even able to convince his best friend into borrowing his dad’s Ferrari for the day. With the exception of his sister and the dean of students, there doesn’t seem to be anyone that Ferris can’t charm.Other Examples from Film:James Bond, Alex “Hitch” Hitchens (Hitch)

TRAITS IN SUPPORTING CHARACTERS THAT MAY CAUSE CONFLICT:abrasive, catty, cynical, entitled, gullible, hostile, insecure, introverted, jealous, loutish, melodramatic, rowdy, vindictive, whiny

CHALLENGING SCENARIOS FOR THE CHARMING CHARACTER:
PLOTLINE: Engaging with a discerning person who sees through the charismatic character’s charm
PLOTLINE: Dealing with jaded or bitter people
PLOTLINE: Recognizing that one is being manipulated by someone else
PLOTLINE: Having one’s charming behavior be misinterpreted as romantic interest
PLOTLINE: Trying to be a good host while hiding one’s personal dislike of someone