Rhetoric Power of Persuasion

What Is Rhetoric ?

Aristotle: Classic rhetoric argues that to properly persuade an audience, the speaker or writer must master Ethos, Logos, and Pathos

Persuasion is not

Ethos Logos Pathos

Ethos appeal based on the character of the speaker. reputation of the author. originally defined by Aristotle in On Rhetoric as being trustworthy. He stated that we are more likely to believe people who have good character. we are more likely to be persuaded by someone who is similar to us

Elements of Ethos measure the ethos of a speaker: Trustworthiness (as perceived by the audience) Similarity (to the audience) Authority (relative to the audience) Reputation or Expertise (relative to the topic)

Trustworthiness Honest, Ethical or moral, Generous, or Benevolent

Be a Chameleon adapt your language, your mannerisms, your dress, your visuals, and your overall style to match your audience. characteristics which you might share with your audience: Age, Gender, Race, Culture Socio-economic status Rich? Poor? Educated? Middle-class? Urban? Rural? Citizenship Where you are from, whether in a global sense (what country are you from?), or in a local sense (are you urban, or rural?) Career or Affiliation Do you share a profession with your audience? Are you a member of the same organization as your audience? Personality Analytical? Emotional? Reserved? Outgoing? If you are similar to your audience, then your audience will be more receptive to your ideas in the same way that you are more likely to open a door at night if you recognize the voice of the person on the other side.

Authority: the relationship between the speaker and the audience Organizational authority e.g. CEO, manager, supervisor Political authority e.g. president, political leader Religious authority e.g. priest, pastor, nun Educational authority e.g. principal, teacher, professor Elder authority e.g. anyone who is older than us

Reputation/Expertise what you know about your topic. what your audience knows about what you know about your topic. Your reputation is determined by several related factors: Your experience in the field How many years have you worked with or studied this topic? Your proximity to the topic or concept Your production in the field Books or academic papers written. Blogs authored. Commercial products developed. Your demonstrated skill If you are talking about money management, are you a successful money manager? Your achievements, or recognition from others in the field Awards won. Testimonials earned. Records achieved. Milestones reached.

Logos Logos names the appeal to reason/logic/common sense Does your message make sense? Is your message based on facts, statistics, and evidence? Will your call-to-action lead to the desired outcome that you promise?

How does the writer/speaker appeal logos? Theoretical, abstract language Denotative meanings/reasons Literal and historical analogies Definitions Factual data and statistics Quotations Citations from experts and authorities Informed opinions

Pathos Emotions — whether fear or love, pity or anger — are powerful motivators for your audience. An audience emotionally stimulated in the right way is more likely to accept your claims and act on your requests. By learning how to make emotional appeals, you greatly improve your effectiveness as a speaker. The word pathos is derived from the ancient Greek word for “suffering” or “experience”.

On RhetoricOn Rhetoric. Aristotle identified the following seven sets of emotions, with each pair representing opposites: “As a speaker, your goal is to create a shared emotional experience with your audience.” Anger and Calmness Friendship and Enmity Fear and Confidence Shame and Shamelessness Kindness and Unkindness Pity and Indignation Envy and Emulation

Don’t be Emo Basic Emotions Joy — Sadness Trust — Disgust Fear — Anger Surprise — Anticipation Advanced Emotions Optimism — Disappointment Love — Remorse Submission — Contempt Awe — Aggressiveness

Why Evoke Audience Emotions at All? Cannot be random emotions make your audience angry direct that anger at your opponent.

Pathos Superhighways Let’s review these superhighways from which you can create the pathos of your presentation. Themes and Points Words Analogies and Metaphors Stories Humor Visuals Delivery Techniques

Ethos logos pathos