Inspirational people have what Carl Jung defined as “daimon.” That is to say, a creative inner voice that drives you to initiate challenges, guided by integrity and an incombustible will.
If we talk about inspiring people, it is likely that each of us has a name that comes to mind – we can even coincide, if that person is known. Writers, athletes, scientists, engineers, artists and even some influencer. All of them have more than one aspect in common: they are virtuous figures in some area and they define qualities that we don’t really know how to explain.
Those sensations that are difficult for us to define were integrated by Carl Jung into a concept long known in history. The daimon is a divine being that is hidden within us. The Egyptians called it Ba and Aristotle used it to define that highest state in the human being, the one that combines virtues such as wisdom.
We could say that the one who inspires has something more than mere intelligence or a good command of a field of knowledge. There is an essence that transcends beyond mere competition, and that rises up like that that catches and captivates us. To the point of wanting to imitate them or learn from them.
We delve into these personalities.
“Stay away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Little people always do that, but really great people make you feel like you can be great too.” Mark Twain-
Characteristics of inspiring people
There are 7.9 billion people in the world. Each one has its character, its life story, its greatness and its flaws. There are public figures who inspire others, but there are also millions of others who do so anonymously, discreetly… Many of us have a father or a mother who is our greatest admiration.
That is, in some way, each of us has someone in our minds and hearts who, due to their own characteristics, urges us to be a little better by imitating them and learning from them. Because inspiration is a powerful feeling that drives motivation, that injects us with positive emotions, the ability to dream and self-confidence.
On the other hand, it should be noted that, as indicated in a study carried out at the College of William and Mary (Virginia), inspiration is a very clear psychological construct. Also decisive in the human being. Cultivating it, developing it and letting ourselves be inspired by others gives us transcendence and improves well-being and the ability to achieve.
Let’s see what defines inspiring people…
1. Motivation and commitment
When someone becomes that figure that we admire and inspire us, there is an aspect that always repeats itself. We are dealing with people committed to a series of objectives. Every effort, every thought and behavior that they carry out is oriented towards those personal goals that they have made their own and that define their lifestyle.
2. Effort combined with integrity and humility
Our parents, a friend, that athlete that fascinates us, that writer that we admire… The people who inspire us don’t do it only because of their actions. For his great deeds. What makes them become that wind that drives the sails of our dreams by wanting to be like them is their character and personality.
On average, they are figures endowed with great humility and integrity. No matter how many things they have accomplished, they are rarely carried away by ego or superiority. Its simplicity is its banner.
3. Self-knowledge
We spoke at the beginning of the daimon, of that entity that symbolizes the highest essence of the human being. Having that internal “genius” means having wisdom, good judgment and good work, but also other no less decisive qualities.
People who inspire do so above all for their authenticity, for being sincere, for knowing their limits, their flaws and also their potential.
They invest in their own emotional and personal growth, trying to be better every day for themselves and also for the world itself. They know that each act resonates with their environment, that inspiring is setting an example, that achieving goals is investing in psychological well-being.
The person who knows himself and looks at the world with humility, curiosity and hope, becomes someone who inspires us.
4. They bring out the best in us
There is an exceptional quality that is not talked about enough: the art of encouraging others, of guiding them and convincing them that they can improve, progress, be better… The ability to make someone trust their skills is a tool that they do not have. all the world.
Those who inspire also guide and do so with respect, from that empathy and humility capable of transforming us, of leaving a permanent mark…
5. Flexible mind and high self-discipline
Inspirational people are good at one or more skills. That ability that has made them stand out in a specific area is not by chance. They have a highly flexible approach that allows them to learn from mistakes. Also be open to new perspectives to learn from. They accept uncertainty, contradiction and take on challenges with interest and efficiency.
They know that excellence is achieved by accepting changes, innovating, failing from time to time and learning from each step back. This filming of life is in turn intermingled with another no less decisive variable: self-discipline. The one that always acts as a catapult of achievement.
6. Transcendence and wisdom
Robert J. Sternberg once defined a wise person as someone who is sensitive, competent in interpersonal skills, sociable, judicious, a good communicator, and knowledgeable about the challenges and wonders of life. Whoever inspires us doesn’t always do it because of his intelligence, in fact, he does it because of his wisdom.
To conclude, it is very likely that we are all thinking now about those inspiring people that we have in our lives. They are authentic treasures, it is true. However, there is something just as decisive and evocative: becoming ourselves as people who inspire others.
Source: The Mind is Wonderful