Persuasion: An Everyday Activity

            We think of persuasion as a very complex quality that only a few select individuals can achieve. In fact, persuasion is used by most people in their everyday lives. Although they do not necessarily notice it, they are using pathos, logos, and ethos to convince another individual. These are the three big modes of rhetoric first introduced by Aristotle. I found it very interesting to observe that logic is not the main path to persuade or win an argument, since people can defend themselves if they really dominate the topic. On the other hand, imposing a dominant image of you (ethos) and presenting yourself with a strong character sets an image that is crucial for arguing. Also, using pathos, or appealing to the emotions of the other part can allow you to make valuable connections that make the other reflect upon the point and eventually change his mind. Heinrichs uses one example throughout most of the chapter which at first seems to be a simple discussion about a simple issue. But that is only what is happening superficially. The way in which the author is able to break up the argument into the different modes of rhetoric amazed me. Even a young child can begin to use advanced persuasive techniques to convince his parents of a certain desire.

                Getting angry is the worst thing one can do in an argument. It is commonly thought that an angry person will dominate the conversation. This might be true in terms of voice loudness and rudeness, but not in the case of persuading. Keeping calm and making your opponent sympathize with you will give you a huge advantage in your argument. Heinrichs depicts a crucial idea when he declares, “Cicero hinted that the great orator transforms himself into an emotional role model, showing the audience how it should feel” (p. 43). One of the most important aspects of arguing is achieving the audience’s sympathy towards you and your idea. If the audience, in some cases only your opponent feels related or begins to acknowledge the idea, then there has been an effective use of pathos. Sometimes, conceding a few points to the counterpart is useful to make them feel comfortable and think that they are doing a good job in getting their point across, which they really are not. I was surprised to realize that the best arguments won are those that do not feel like intense arguments, which can start even with friends. Once the idea of an argument is induced in the opponent’s mind, he will lift up his guard and begin to attack you. Instead of attacking back, one should try to make the other individual accept your idea and not only acknowledge that it is a good one, but be so into it that he has a desire to implement it. This seems like a win-win situation but it is actually a complete win for the rhetorician.