Charisma

Charisma is powerful thing because it can be used for different purposes. According to "Rastafari,"it is a quality of a personality that encompasses and appeals to the needs of the people in adverse circumstances, which helps to acquire followers for the leader and his/her cause. It reminds me of how leaders in the past have used charisma to help people. However, others such as Hitler have utilized charisma for destructive purposes.

Hitler took advantage of the economic situation, the low morale of the Germans, and the losses of Germany due to the Treaty of Versaille so that he could appeal to the Germans because they were unsatisfied with the government. Appealing to their needs, he and his political party gained popularity, advocating improvement of their current conditions. Thus, he gained support, which allowed him to gradually rise to power. From his high position, he reinforced the beliefs he imposed on the people. He influenced people to support his ideology, Nazism.

However, just as the book “Rastafari” says, some movements are only temporary. Society and culture also play a role in integrating or rejecting the movement. In Hitler’s case, other societies opposed his actions, which paved the way for his movement’s downfall. Hitler and Nazism is an example of how people can take advantage of charisma for dark purposes. The results of charisma depend on the leader's intentions.