--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He had the uncanny capacity to know…" description: "\"He had the uncanny capacity to know exactly what your weak point is, know what will make you feel small, to make you cringe,\" Joanna Hoffman said. \"It'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/812/walter-isaacson-384_approval_he-had-the-uncanny-capacity-to-know-exac_2778051.jpg" --- # He had the uncanny capacity to know exactly what your weak… ![“He had the uncanny capacity to know exactly what your weak point is, know what will make you feel small, to make you cringe," Joanna Hoffman said. "It's a common trait in people who are charismatic and know how to manipulate people. Knowing that he can crush you makes you feel weakened and eager…” quote by Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/812/walter-isaacson-384_approval_he-had-the-uncanny-capacity-to-know-exac_2778051.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/812/walter-isaacson-384_approval_he-had-the-uncanny-capacity-to-know-exac_2778051.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/812/walter-isaacson-384_approval_he-had-the-uncanny-capacity-to-know-exac_2778051.jpg) > “He had the uncanny capacity to know exactly what your weak point is, know what will make you feel small, to make you cringe," Joanna Hoffman said. "It's a common trait in people who are charismatic and know how to manipulate people. Knowing that he can crush you makes you feel weakened and eager for his approval, so then he can elevate you and put you on a pedestal and own you.” [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Charismatic manipulators know weak points, making others feel small and eager for approval, then elevate them to control. **In simple terms:** Manipulators exploit weaknesses for control. Key Takeaway Beware flattery that undermines confidence. Themes power manipulation charisma Mood cautious analytical Type psychological observational When to use this quote - workplace - personal relationships - negotiations Key Concepts psychology leadership Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize manipulation? - What boundaries protect you? A Different Perspective May overlook positive charisma. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval/) [Capacity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity/) [Charismatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charismatic/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Crush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crush/) [Feel Weakened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-weakened-3289741/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing/) [Knowing Crush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing-crush-3289743/) [Manipulate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manipulate/) [Manipulate People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manipulate-people-313591/) [Pedestal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pedestal/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Traits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traits/) [Uncanny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncanny/) [Weak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak/) [Weak Point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak-point-668169/) [Weakened Eager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakened-eager-3289742/) ## Related quotes > [Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/why-couldn-t-jesus-command-us-to-obsess-over-everything-to-try-to/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Any good actor has to have a good sense of humour, too; they have to be able to manipulate people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chevy-chase/any-good-actor-has-to-have-a-good-sense-of-humour-too-they-have-to-be/) [Chevy Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chevy-chase/) > [If you're blaming something or someone else for the way you are, then that person, those people, those circumstances or those energies, are going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/if-you-re-blaming-something-or-someone-else-for-the-way-you-are-then/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [It's very easy on social media to manipulate people's emotions, to manipulate their belief systems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/it-s-very-easy-on-social-media-to-manipulate-people-s-emotions-to/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [Over the course of my career as an undercover officer in the C.I.A., I saw Russian intelligence manipulate many people. I never thought I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hurd/over-the-course-of-my-career-as-an-undercover-officer-in-the-c-i-a-i/) [Will Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hurd/) > [And what? What's the other choice? To passively let things happen and then say: "Tut-tut, what at botch that was"? Don't we all manipulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/and-what-what-s-the-other-choice-to-passively-let-things-happen-and/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [You might believe that it's only for their own good, but how does it feel when you try to manipulate the people you love?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/you-might-believe-that-it-s-only-for-their-own-good-but-how-does-it/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [When u find yourself talking bad about someone, ask yourself - if this person were listening to u talk, would u feel honest &…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jsv/when-u-find-yourself-talking-bad-about-someone-ask-yourself-if-this/) [JSV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jsv/) > [There is undoubtedly a difference between people who manipulate other people and people who create things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/there-is-undoubtedly-a-difference-between-people-who-manipulate-other/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“If you can manipulate people, you can make them do anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/if-you-can-manipulate-people-you-can-make-them-do-anything/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [I have no interest in trying to manipulate people's emotions or opinions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/i-have-no-interest-in-trying-to-manipulate-people-s-emotions-or/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [No, I wouldn't direct a movie, no. I couldn't. I don't have the patience for it, I don't have the people skills. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/no-i-wouldn-t-direct-a-movie-no-i-couldn-t-i-don-t-have-the-patience/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [We're not trying to manipulate other people, just controlling what we do ourselves. Controlling what we do is being free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daft-punk/we-re-not-trying-to-manipulate-other-people-just-controlling-what-we/) [Daft Punk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daft-punk/) > [Cus was a master psychologist, manipulator. Don't take the wrong way, because you can be a good person and know how to maneuver, manipulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/cus-was-a-master-psychologist-manipulator-don-t-take-the-wrong-way/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [If I had to bring the whole conspiracy in all its forms into one area, it would be to manipulate people into left-brain reality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/if-i-had-to-bring-the-whole-conspiracy-in-all-its-forms-into-one-area/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) ## More by Walter Isaacson > [“he never finished any of the works he began because, so sublime was his idea of art, he saw faults even in the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/he-never-finished-any-of-the-works-he-began-because-so-sublime-was/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [He had the attitude that he could do anything, and therefore so can you. He put his life in my hands. So that made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/he-had-the-attitude-that-he-could-do-anything-and-therefore-so-can/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [But the point is to get a whole new generation of people and people in general more re-engaged in news, and this has happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/but-the-point-is-to-get-a-whole-new-generation-of-people-and-people/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“There was never a good knife made of bad steel ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/there-was-never-a-good-knife-made-of-bad-steel/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“Jobs's intensity was also evident in his ability to focus. He would set priorities, aim his laser attention on them, and filter out distractions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/jobs-s-intensity-was-also-evident-in-his-ability-to-focus-he-would/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“Atop the brochure McKenna put a maxim, often attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, that would become the defining precept of Jobs’s design philosophy: “Simplicity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/atop-the-brochure-mckenna-put-a-maxim-often-attributed-to-leonardo-da/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“The company began attracting influential new investors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/the-company-began-attracting-influential-new-investors/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“You have to remain critically vigilant.” Question every premise, challenge conventional wisdom, and never accept the truth of something merely because everyone else views…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/you-have-to-remain-critically-vigilant-question-every-premise/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“in 1996, bought NeXT, bringing Jobs back. BILL ATKINSON. Early Apple employee, developed graphics for the Macintosh. CHRISANN BRENNAN. Jobs’s girlfriend at Homestead High,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/in-1996-bought-next-bringing-jobs-back-bill-atkinson-early-apple/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“The last time there was this much excitement about a tablet, it had some commandments written on it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/the-last-time-there-was-this-much-excitement-about-a-tablet-it-had/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“If you want to live your life in a creative way, as an artist, you have to not look back too much. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/if-you-want-to-live-your-life-in-a-creative-way-as-an-artist-you-have/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“There was a key lesson for innovation: Understand which industries are symbiotic so that you can capitalize on how they will spur each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/there-was-a-key-lesson-for-innovation-understand-which-industries-are/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“CEO Gil Amelio stumbled. Ellison may have been baffled when Jobs insisted that he was not motivated by money, but it was partly true.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/ceo-gil-amelio-stumbled-ellison-may-have-been-baffled-when-jobs/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“Once a year Jobs took his most valuable employees on a retreat, which he called " The Top 100." They were picked based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/once-a-year-jobs-took-his-most-valuable-employees-on-a-retreat-which/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“An object will display the greatest difference of light and shade when it is seen in the strongest light. . . . But this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/an-object-will-display-the-greatest-difference-of-light-and-shade/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) [Explore all 593 Walter Isaacson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) ## More Approval quotes > [Anyone who's read my 'Terror in the Skies' series knows that I have not been writing with an eye toward approval from any government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/anyone-who-s-read-my-terror-in-the-skies-series-knows-that-i-have-not/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [we need not avoid our active lives, but simply bring to them a new vision and shift of gravity. for in the center we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/we-need-not-avoid-our-active-lives-but-simply-bring-to-them-a-new/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [Lean too much on the approval of people, and it becomes a bed of thorns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tehyi-hsieh/lean-too-much-on-the-approval-of-people-and-it-becomes-a-bed-of-thorns/) [Tehyi Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tehyi-hsieh/) > [But I always reassure them that as far as my contractual rights can go, I will protect them and make sure that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-roach/but-i-always-reassure-them-that-as-far-as-my-contractual-rights-can/) [Jay Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-roach/) > [Growing up in that fashion is a breeding ground for insecurity and doubt; it also leaves you questioning motives. 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That's not morality, that's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/do-you-really-mean-the-only-reason-you-try-to-be-good-is-to-gain-god/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Browse all 904 Approval quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He had the uncanny capacity to know exactly what your weak point is, know what will make you feel small, to make you cringe,\" Joanna Hoffman said. \"It's a common trait in people who are charismatic and know how to manipulate people. 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