Dr. Montgomery Kasik's Page

A thought that keeps going through my mind today is the way people are so easily led and influenced by Charisma and Group Dynamics. I was introduced to the term and the concepts formally many years ago when I first took a class entitled “Group Dynamics and Individual Behavior”. It is so very easy for me to identify that much of what we are witnessing in this political climate was actually the curriculum of that class of long ago. Charisma will fool many. Many people are often placed in dangerous situations due to Charisma. This is evidenced throughout history. Charisma will cause many to not look at facts... true facts. They will make decisions and think that they are the right ones, but will be making dangerous decisions based solely upon Charisma. I have seen this type of “cult” behavior many times in my lifetime. People also are very gullible and let the popular and biased press sway and make their decisions for them. They let others tell them what to believe or base their beliefs on carefully edited sound bites or commentary.
I for one will not be making decisions based upon Charisma or anything the press or entertainers endorse. I am looking for facts. I am looking for reliable and unbiased facts. It is disheartening how many youth of today are falling victim to making decisions based upon sound bites, clips, satire and not taking the time to look at facts. Don’t listen to a biased commentator’s spin on a speech or debate. Look at the entire "debates" yourself without commentary and make up your own mind based on fact. The only way to remain in control and prevent being drawn in by charisma is to be well versed in accurate facts! More on this topic will have to come later…

Peace and Love

Post Script:

[ German sociologist Max Weber defined charismatic authority to be one of three forms of authority, the other two being traditional (feudal) authority and legal or rational authority. Charisma is defined as: " …a certain quality of an individual personality, by virtue of which s/he is “set apart” from ordinary people and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities. These as such are not accessible to the ordinary person, but are regarded as divine in origin or as exemplary, and on the basis of them the individual concerned is treated as a leader."

From the EMPEHI listserve....How old is blogging? It's been around since the very beginning days of this country, and before. Perhaps, in spite of your government educations, you've heard of something called "The Federalist Papers." These were a series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay. These men were not journalists. They were citizens writing essays --- blogging, if you will --- in support of ratification of our Constitution. If the technology had been around you can rest assured that they would have posted their writings on the Internet .. .and there would be Helen Thomas deriding them for their efforts and their contributions to the "deterioration" of journalism..."

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving! Remember Who we are giving Thanks to and for what!

Thanksgiving is about Giving Thanks to God for all