Muhammad Ali was one of the most outspoken self promoters in sports history. He said that
he was the greatest all the time. You would think that that confidence would be construed
as arrogance, yet Ali was one of the most beloved sports icons we've ever known. Today
we're going to look at what made him such a remarkable man and how he was supremely
confident without coming off as too arrogant and how we can make the kind of impact he
did on the people around us.
The first thing you have to note about Muhammad Ali is that he could trash talk like no other.
Ali predicted he'd crush every fighter he ever fought and he usually did, but you never
heard him say, "I respect his talent. I've been training hard and, I think, I'm gonna
come out on top." It was always about how the guy he was fighting was a total bum and
was about to get whooped. Obviously, this runs the risk of coming off as extremely arrogant,
but Ali pulled this bravado off while remaining very likable. And it was primarily because
his confidence was real, but his arrogance was performed.
And you knew he was kind of joking when he made ridiculous and funny statements like this.
The rhyming, the exaggerated bragging, the humor, these are things that let the audience
know it's all just a performance. We know Ali didn't really think he was going to go
to jail or that he was faster than lightning. And because we can see that he's partially
kidding, we can forgive the boasting.
So the lesson here is that if you're going to brag, it is actually less obnoxious when
you take it to the extreme. If you can take it so far to the extreme that people laugh,
then bragging can even become something that people like about you, and I've seen Kevin
Hart make this same type of joke often.
You see there? Just an example, but that kind of exaggerated boasting can actually make
people like you more, and that's how it was with Ali. But let's be clear, talk without
walk means nothing. A huge portion of Ali's charisma comes from the fact that he was super
humanly talented. He backed up what he said. Look at how good he was.
Ali was so good that sometimes he looked like he had actual super powers.
So if you're going to brag, make sure that you're doing it over the top, to the point
of humor. But if you want to convey honest confidence that inspires people, make sure
you can back it up. As much confidence as Ali had, and as much as he showed, he was
just as good in the ring, but that wasn't everything that Ali had.
He was also a dominant force in every interaction. Watch here how he completely ignores the reporter,
telling him that he isn't pretty, and delivers one of his most iconic lines.
This kind of interaction might look insignificant, but it happens all the time and it is very
important. It is a clash of frames. We've talked about this before in different videos
on Tyrion if you want to check that out. But, right here, Ali's frame says that he should
be doing the talking. The reporter's frame says that Ali should listen because he's asking
questions. Those two frames collide and Ali, as always, comes out on top.
The winner of any frame collision is going to be the person who believes their frame
more, but watch here to see the subtleties of how that is communicated. I want you to pay attention
to three things.
First, how Ali doesn't look at the reporter, but the reporter looks at him. Second, how
Ali doesn't respond to what the reporter says, but the reporter responds to him. And, third,
how the reporter tries to physically pull Ali towards him, but Ali doesn't budge.
That took about 8 seconds, which is as long as it takes for him to be a winner in the
frame game. These short little frame collisions happen all the time throughout your day in
tons of different ways. And what's remarkable is that from what I can tell, Muhammad Ali
always stayed firmly rooted in his own frame. When we see that kind of conviction, we can't
help but be drawn to it.
Here's just another little example that you might relate to. When two people go to give
different styles of handshakes, watch how Ali maintains his frame.
Ali isn't trying to be a jerk. In fact, he was very playful throughout this interview, but
he has grown accustomed to setting the tone of the interaction. Pay attention in your
own life, in subtle little ways, who do you make adjustments for and who do you stick
to your guns with? That's a pretty clear indication of who the leader is in any sort of relationship.
Now, there is no problem with taking a follower role sometimes, but in certain situations
like sales pitches, interviews, even dates, you are usually going to benefit from being
the leader, so those frame games become very important.
Ali was so confident, had such a strong frame, that he seemingly had no fear of being honest.
That might not seem like a big deal, but most people are extremely afraid of what others
would think of them if they were totally real. Have you ever been in a conversation, pretended
to know something you didn't, so you wouldn't look stupid? Look at how Ali handled that
exact type of situation.
Admitting what you don't know,
especially when you want to come across as intelligent, takes serious guts.
It shows leadership and courage. Similarly, had you ever bit your tongue when you disagreed
with someone who was telling you how wrong you were? Look how Ali handled that kind of situation.
It's not just his skill at boxing, but this, that made Muhammad Ali an icon. Agree or disagree
with him, you knew exactly what he stood for. You knew exactly how he felt because he told
you to your face. That kind of unreserved honesty draws people like a magnet because
it shows that unlike almost everyone else, Ali wasn't afraid of the consequences of the truth.
Here, he's speaking about his refusal to fight in Vietnam. If you don't know the background,
the short of the story is that Ali refused to fight in Vietnam when he was drafted based
on his religious beliefs as a Muslim. Now, keep in mind, he's a Black Muslim man in the 1960's
in America. This is a huge, huge thing.
Now you might not agree with Ali's religious beliefs or his refusal to fight in the Vietnam
war, but when you see someone standing up to authority and social convention because
at the time, Vietnam was still pretty well supported. You can't help but respect that
person's conviction.
Most people blow whichever way social norms take them, and when we find someone rooted
firmly in their own beliefs, who is willing to suffer the consequences of stating and
standing up for what he believed in, part of us loves them for their bravery.
So if you take only one thing from this video, make it this. Think of something you believe
in that you might be hiding from the people around you and stop hiding it. You don't have
to push your beliefs on others, but stand up for what you believe, even when it's inconvenient
for you. It might feel like that would alienate you from everyone, but it's actually one of
the best things you can do to build self-esteem and radiate charisma.
If you're curious what some of the other things that can help you radiate charisma, there
are actually four things in total in a first impression. And, unfortunately, most people
do this completely wrong. They make the mistake in the order and butcher their first impression.
So, if you're curious what those things are and how to avoid that mistake, we've set up
another video that you can get by clicking in the box here. It's gonna take you to another
page where you can submit your email and avoid making that mistake for the rest of your life.
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If you have any video suggestions, please go ahead write them in the Comments. Muhammad
Ali was a very common suggestion and I couldn't be happier that I finally took the time to
research him because he's an incredible dude.
I hope that you guys enjoyed this video and I'm looking forward to seeing you in the next one.