[quote=@ClocktowerEchos]
I see a lot of times people will put down that their character is extremely smart or charismatic or something like that yet I rarely see any of this in the actual RP. So I have a question: How do you RP those traits exactly?
[/quote]

I'd think of how an actor portrays a character and use that as a building basis for your own.

I'll give an example of Gary Oldman with his actions in [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbDoZTs3NoY]The Fifth Element[/url] and [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxDLoeDTXl0]Harry Potter[/url]. In one movie he portrays a vain, power hungry individual who sees himself as an authority over others, while in the other he is a humble, affectionate person who cares deeply for his godson, telling him that Harry is not a bad person, simply someone who has had bad experiences.

The same can be applied to your own characters. Playing someone as intelligent, smart, charismatic, or charming doesn't mean that you yourself have to have those abilities, but it's your choice of words and descriptions that can help create the persona. What you are probably seeing is a lack of people expressing their characters correctly by not choosing the right words and not using the correct mannerisms (ie, using "madam" instead of "miss" in speech, or "thank you my dear" instead of "thanks bud").

Also keep note that it actually is amazing how much a character can change when you don't choose the right words and happen to not be in the correct mindset for that character. I actually have to have a physical break between my RPs because I know I can't switch that thought pattern well enough, and on one instance between friends, I had one of them tell me that I might need to correct my character because I did something that I necessarily wouldn't have done as that person. It all worked out in the end with a few minor adjustments, but it still made me aware how much words in themselves can influence a character even without speech or proper actions.