Psychopathologies And The Attribution Of Charisma Analysis

Children are often taught, quite young, a simple concept to carry them though civil society: sharing is caring. While this is mostly put onto materialistic objects, the older you get the more relevant it becomes in all aspects. We are taught to share our thoughts and views, at appropriate times, with those we see fit to hear them. Unfortunately many times this concept of “sharing” is pushed far past voicing your opinion, and becomes potentially judgmental, or too aggressive. Now, how is it possible then, for leaders of church cults like the Church of Scientology and Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ to voice their opinions so assertively, and have people not only listen, but also follow them? Well the answer is quite simple: charisma. …show more content…
Dawson, we take a deeper dive into the charismatic personalities of leaders of new religious movements; I will be using Dawson’s theories and thoughts on charismatic leaders in conjunction with Jim Jones and David Miscavige. Usually we think about charisma when talking about leaders, but often forget about some less victorious stories. Jim Jones, the leader of the Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ, for example, was able to make people believe that leaving everything they know to flee to Guyana was not only beneficial, but also revolutionary. Many of …show more content…
They carry so much weight in their isolated communities, and are so personable and charismatic, it feels almost wrong to not like and agree with them. Unfortunately this makes for a very tricky situation, when drugs, sex, and/or money drive these leaders. It leaves the people who were once so enthralled with the idea of belonging scared and alone. Jim Jones and David Miscavige are two extremely charismatic leaders, but they show what can happen when charisma goes too