Comments on: what is it about seeing someone?

By: Simon Law

Simon Law — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 22:52:33 +0000

The most important part of seeing someone in real life, unmediated by technology, is that you are actually there. In time and space. Which means that you actually have an effect on that person.

Even if you’re in a big lecture hall and someone is talking at you, you can still stand up and interject. You can ask a question afterwards. You can accost the speaker in the reception afterwards. You can lean over to your buddy and whisper commentary in their ear.

Although the online world has some equivalents for these, they’re not really as human. As a speaker, even if you had the Internet with you as you’re talking, you can choose to ignore someone who’s posted a comment to your streamed speech. But when someone from your audience gets up and asks a question, the situation compels you to respond. You can’t comfortably ignore that person.

Finally, at the end of the day, seeing someone in person also implies that you can meet up afterwards, have a few beers, and become friends. Which isn’t too bad. :P

By: Christopher Hughes

Christopher Hughes — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 22:19:08 +0000

I think we are very receptive to cues from people around us. If we are surrounded by hundreds of people who respect a speaker, or a band, we pick up on that, and respond to it. And large crowds can show respect and disrespect in very subtle ways. As a speaker you know when you have lost your audience, but it is hard to put your finger on what tells you that - shifting in seats, coughing etc. You can also tell when you have them in the palm of your hand.
As an audience member you pick up on how well things are being received, both consciously, and unconsciously. A very basic part of us likes hierarchies, likes a pecking order. So the chimp at the controls of our brain sees an adoring crowd looking at someone, and says ‘Him good! Must listen!’ An effect usefully employed by demagogues, rock stars, and, if they are wise, public domain audiobook gurus.

By: Dan Parsons

Dan Parsons — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 21:03:13 +0000

Well, the first thing that comes to mind is being able to see body language very clearly, though I suspect there are other reasons. Body language is a big part of charisma, maybe even the biggest part. You can pick up on body language a bit by watching a video, but it’s more visible when viewing in person, additionally you pick up on the body language of the crowd reacting to the speaker.

Oxford defines charisma as “compelling attractiveness”, so in answer to your question, why do we like charisma, the obvious answer is: because if we don’t like it, it’s not charisma :) But that seems like a cop-out. I think people with lots of charisma are simply adept at pushing other people’s buttons to get what they want. If what they want is the person to like them, then it’s charisma. If they want the person to give them all their money, then it’s not charisma anymore, but being a con artist, or whatever.

By: Hugh

Hugh — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 20:45:27 +0000

so the question is: what is “charisma” and why is it “better” live than recorded? or, what is the mechanism by which you receive charisma and measure it against other events (say listening to the same person on your ipod)? and what’s so good about charisma anyway? why do we like it?

By: Dan Parsons

Dan Parsons — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 19:57:49 +0000

The same reason seeing Rush in concert is unbelievable, even though you can listen to their music any time you want. The charisma of the speaker engages you and makes their material seem even more interesting than it might if you were viewing from home. If something’s more interesting, you pay more attention, and get more out of it. Not sure if this is the same as one of your own reasons but it seems different to me.