Where There's a Will

The skill of attraction can seem magical to those who see only its aftereffects. People who wield this skill effectively, like Gever, are pied-piper-like in their ability to draw people, ideas, and opportunities towards themselves. But our attraction to people who successfully broadcast their purpose outwards is supported by science.

The studies undertaken in this area are as interesting for their design as they are for their results. How exactly would a scientist test “attraction”?

The Viennese psychologist and brain surgeon, Viktor Frankl, was the first to answer this question. His pioneering 1946 work, Man's Search for Meaning, chronicles his own experiences as a prisoner of a Nazi concentration camp. From this trying ...

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