Walter Isaacson Quotes

Steve has a reality distortion field.” When Hertzfeld looked puzzled, Tribble elaborated. “In his presence, reality is malleable. He can convince anyone of practically anything. It wears off when he’s not around, but it makes it hard to have realistic schedules.

Men are apt to be much more influenced by words than by the actual facts of the surrounding reality

The devil is a cross between a really good used-car salesman and a game-show host, but with a lot more style and charm.There's a little Cary Grant thrown in there too.

Power is not sufficient evidence of truth.

I rarely meet a politician that I don't like personally. They are generally well endowed with charm. Therein lies the danger.

A person of definite character and purpose who comprehends our way of thought is sure to exert power over us. He cannot altogether be resisted; because, if he understands us, he can make us understand him, through the word, the look, or other symbol, which both of us connect with the common sentiment or idea; and thus by communicating an impulse he can move the will.

Propaganda is the art of persuading others of what one does not believe oneself.

Nothing is so difficult to believe that oratory cannot make it acceptable …

Power can shape 'truth,' but not forever.

Charlatanism of some degree is indispensable to effective leadership.

The 'Rule of Three' is simply getting the other guy to agree to the same thing three times in the same conversation, it's really hard to repeatedly lie or fake conviction.

I am a very persuasive man.

Charm was a scheme for making strangers like and trust a person immediately, no matter what the charmer had in mind.

There's a lot of false prophets around and that's the trouble. People say they think they know what's right and other people get people to follow them because they have a certain type of charisma, and there's always people willing to take over. People want a leader. And there will be more and more of them.

Hitler understood the demagogues' essential principle to teach or persuade is far more difficult than to stir emotion.

I'm a believer that charisma makes a huge difference in people's decisions to follow you. However, it's not just that you say it well, but it's that you know it well. It helps if you can say it well enough that people want to follow you. Charisma isn't required, but it makes a big difference.

Intelligence has got the upper hand to such an extent that it transforms the real task into an unreal trick and reality into a play.

Natural politicians are skilled actors, recreating reality, adjusting and ad-libbing, synthesizing the scenes, saying the same thing over and over again and making it seem that theyare saying it for the first time.

Speaking passionately from the very center of who you are is compelling, forceful, persuasive: that’s what leadership sounds like.

The most outrageous lies that can be invented will find believers if a person only tells them with all his might.

Always remember that as long as other people are gullible, there's no limit to what you can achieve.

The talent of insinuation is more useful than that of persuasion, as everybody is open to insinuation, but scarce any to persuasion.

In the beginning [Hitler] was genial and pleasant. He would have extraordinary willpower and unheard-of influence on people.

You don't need the right facts if you have the right inflection.

A general must be a charlatan.