Toward a Psychology of Charisma: III. Intuitional Empathy, Vorbilder, Fuehrers, Transcendence-Striving, and Inner Creation

Abstract

This paper relates the concept of charisma to (1) the psychology of empathy, (2) the psychology of leadership, and (3) Rorschachian personology. Specifically, it relates charisma to (1) the intuitional (in contrast to inferential) kind of empathy or understanding ( Einfuehlung-Verstehen in contrast to Erklaeren-Begreifen); (2) leadership psychodynamics as involved in Scheler's “Vorbilder,” Knickerbocker's “Leader” and Marcus' “transcendencestriving;” and (3) the inner-creation side of the Rorschach framework (in contrast to disciplined thinking).