"True words aren't charming,
charming words aren't true."
Lao Tzu
My earliest association with the word charming originated from fairy tales. When I hear the word charming, now, I think of O.J. Simpson, the poster child for domestic violence. As I think through my history of working with families of domestic violence, the male was always charming while the frazzled woman presented as a shrew. Let me correct that statement: the men always thought they were charming and hoped to portray the abused woman as a shrew.
I realize I more than likely have a bias, but this word 'charming' tends to remain consistent with my doubts of sincerity. I will expand my view to include women who present themselves as charmed, indeed become questionable to me.
I don't feel I would want to be categorized as a charming person, and there is probably no danger of that happening. An individual who comes across as charming, to me, I instantly wonder what is behind the curtain of disguise. I am not saying the person is bad or harmful, but simply is not being authentic. One works for a long time to polish the brand of charm and it is focused on what will be acceptable to others.
I love words, but obviously not a large fan of charm. Give me unique, authentic, individualistic, eccentric, unusual, country, city, eclectic, back woods, upper crust, creative, impressionable or just about any other word in the dictionary. They may be marching to a different drummer, but they will attract my attention!
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