Charisma in the age of capitalism

Episode 37 with Charlie & Ben

We’re all familiar with the products of the self-help industry: videos, podcasts, and shelves of books at the bookstore dedicated to helping us unlock various personal habits or qualities. These desirable qualities are generally selected for their ability to make us more efficient at work, more “in control” of our daily lives, even when we can’t control basic aspects of those lives — what will happen if we get a surprise medical bill, lose our jobs, face a rent hike. It’s easy to say, therefore, that a lot of the self-help information targeted at us isn’t created with our best interests in mind; it isn’t intended to help us live more fulfilling lives, but more productive ones, as far as our bosses are concerned.

That’s why we’re looking forward to taking this week to talk to Charlie & Ben from YouTube’s Charisma on Command. The team’s Web site suggests that the pursuit of charisma can bring us fuller social lives, connecting us with meaningful relationships. If the point of life isn’t just punching the clock, but instead finding a community of people who inspire and support us, how do we tap into our own strengths to pursue that community? And, of course, what are the limits of self-help in a society ruled by capital? How can we achieve better self-confidence and more fulfilling relationships in a culture obsessed with work and productivity? These are just a few of the questions we’ll be getting into with Charlie & Ben, and we hope you’ll join us to hear the answers.

Paid subscribers will be the first to hear our conversation when it drops through video on Friday. Everyone can access the audio Saturday evening through Substack, Spotify, Pandora, Apple Podcasts, and more. Thanks for joining us!