Resolving with Rhetoric

This week I was filling out an application for the Presidential Leadership Academy at Penn State and I was asked to write an essay about the "Arab Spring." Considering I have not updated myself on current events, I researched the topic. The severity of this revolutionary movement shocked me.  How could all this be going on and I haven't heard anything about it? But as I analyzed the disputable origin of the topic, I realized that rhetoric could be a step toward resolving this great turmoil.

Here's my summary in order to update yourself on the topic:

Sparked by the bold protest of one Tunisian man, the fire of the "Arab Spring" was fueled by inflation, unemployment, and lack of freedom of expression. Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, the President of Tunisia, promised to take action. But this action wasn't referring to ceasing the effects of inflation, unemployment, and lack of freedom. Rather, it was a reference to simply stop the protests, which ironically represents an effort to eliminate these great sufferings that fuel the despair facing the Arab world. Therefore, the dominant factor that resulted in this array of protests was not the spark felt by the fire of the first protestor, Mohamed Bouazizi; but rather, the impact of the government's absence of action.  Feeling pressure to take action themselves, protestors press on. The Tunisian people’s uprising protests led the rest of the Arab world to question their government’s authority. Ben Ali fled his own country from these horrible attacks. How can the people feel safe when even their own leader is hiding from what they have no choice but to face? "The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity," Obama said. But instead through the lack of government reassurance, great turmoil has been caused. Although there has been change sparked by these protests, peace will not come until democracy rings throughout the Arab world. If one country obtains democracy, another is going to press harder, with stronger protests, which will result in the Arab spring’s impact being long-lasting. This impact will consist of more violent attempts but it will eventually result in a sense of unity among the Arab world through the need for action and freedom.

The lack of communication between the government and the people prevent democracy from forming. People are becoming impatient with the government not acting or even speaking of a plan to form democracy and be at peace.

This image displays the revolution as a roller coaster- which is exactly what it is.  People are scared and consequently acting rashly over and over again.  The governments are attempting to solve the situation by simply stopping the protest and trying to quiet the dispute of their people.  But the protests will only become more frequent.  They must except that there is turmoil among their people in order to resolve the situation instead of avoiding the argumentative issue at hand.  Rather than assessing this issue head on, the governments try to simply prevent the protests by stopping them through military forces, instead of trying to understand their people.  Obviously the protests are a sign that this isn't a productive way of governing.  Avoiding arguments are common among everyday disputes, but I didn't realize that it could be the source of a long-lasting political issue.

Umm.. Ethos?

Fifty-two.  That's the number I reached until I lost track of the endless stream of "ums" flowing from my professor's mouth.  Psychology is a rather interesting subject, but when a professor chops it up with "ums," well it makes it much less appealing.


I have great respect for the credibility of a professor.  But that credible respect is only kept if the professor comes across as intelligent.  Sure, they're well educated and maybe they're an expert of their profession, but it makes them sound unsure of their own credibility when they soil a lecture with the "word" um.  It is important to convey your intelligence through appearance, but also through your word choices.

Once I dig myself out of the pile of "ums" my professor has thrown at me, I see that she knows a lot about her profession.  Therefore, I do believe she is credible and a good professor. If she could just find a way to avoid that horrible sentence-chopping word, then her class would be much more pleasant and I would gain more from her lectures.  Sadly, however, I've found myself losing the purpose of the lecture and focusing my attention on my professor's poor public speaking skills.

A good orator should execute pathos, ethos, and logos through their speeches.  However, without reaching a credible relationship with the audience, they'll be too far out of you're reach to even come close to achieving pathos and logos.  Trying to instill ethos into a speech doesn't have to be challenging.  Using commendable vocabulary, speaking clearly, and researching the topic can achieve ethos.  And of course, having a degree or some background in whatever your talking about helps too.


Commercials often misuse ethos.  Here is a great example.

Having a background of Ashton Kutcher's films, one may understand he might not be found diving around a fashion show just to get a picture of a woman's shoes.  However, he may attract viewers who are fans of his acting.  But Nikon should keep their audience in mind.  Are they looking for a bunch of teenage girls obsessed with Ashton to buy their product?  I don't believe so.  I would think that someone looking to buy an expensive camera would be more curious about the actor's picture-taking skills than his looks.  I presume that type of audience would be more engaged in a commercial that actually focuses (no pun intended) on the camera itself.  Or perhaps a well-known photographer who can vouch for the product would also be more appealing to the geared audience.  Misuse of ethos can result in a poor connection with an audience.  And without connecting with the audience you might not have great success in what you are attempting to achieve.


Last year, I was preparing to make a speech for one of my classes.  As I became more nervous my friend cheered me up with this clip.

My first piece of advice: Don't do what this guy did!  Watching a silly clip like this made me more relaxed.  Public speaking doesn't have to be as scary as everyone makes it.  Take control of ethos, pathos, and logos and you'll be surprised at the connection you'll make with your audience.

Kairos- Take a Risk

Kairos is "an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment."

For many people the word kairos may simply be a term to be used in rhetorical situations.  However, for people who have participated in The Kairos Retreat Experience, it is a lot more.  Being the retreat's leader, I explained to my peers the importance of the term Kairos.  Having been on the retreat before, I had experienced its true meaning first-hand.

In many situations today, we miss opportunities for various reasons.  Whether it be laziness or the simple fear of being embarrassed, these opportunities have passed without ever being taken advantage of. At retreat, we would reveal in our small groups some of the most intimate feelings that we had been holding in.  Consequently, we bonded like we never imagined.  These bonds would have never occurred if we didn't take the risk of being vulnerable to our peers.  I explained to everyone that if they had things that they wanted to discuss then this was their time, their kairos.  With that mindset, 30 completely different people learned to confide in each other as if they were a family.  Whether you were a jock or a nerd, it didn't matter, because at Kairos everyone had an equal opportunity to open up.  We learned that we're all people, and that we can get through even the toughest times with the support of one another.  This was the most beneficial application of "kairos" that I could have experienced.

Letting go of insecurities opened up a window for new friends, new memories, and an overall life-changing experience.  Seizing a simple kairotic moment brought a group of people together and made them a family.

However, being on two retreats I have seen people who let the kairotic experience slip by.  They were too afraid to reveal such intimate thoughts.  But even when you feel unsure about an open door, sometimes its worth the risky walk through, because you never know when that door will open again.

After the retreat I realized that Kairos is everywhere.  Doors open and close in our lives constantly, and whether we walk through them or let them pass by is up to us.  Seizing kairotic moments help us to live without regrets.  Maybe you'll regret never telling your friend how much you care about them before you both go your separate ways to college.  Maybe they'll question the friendship you had and this may consequently lead to losing touch with each other.  Perhaps it's awkward to say how much someone means to you, but when that final opportunity arises, take hold and don't lose your grip for the simple fear of being misunderstood.

 

I Believe In To Do Lists

                                                       I Believe in To Do Lists

There’s nothing like waking up to a blank piece of paper in the morning.  My mind races with possibilities.  And in my mind, none of them are any more out of my reach than this piece of paper next to me.  I grab the paper, and quickly jot down anything and everything I want to do today. 

Growing up as the youngest child and the only girl in my family, everything seemed so big and out of my reach.  My mom would tell me “Your time will come” as I watched my brothers make one accomplishment after the other.  This excited me and I couldn’t wait to have a million things to do like my brothers.  I entered high school and finally, it was my time: my time to express what I had been holding in, my time to do everything I watched my brothers do, and more, my time to do anything that I had ever desired.  The possibilities were endless and I couldn’t have been happier.

My teacher handed me a book the first day of class- my first planner.  I wrote down assignments, aspirations, club activities, birthdays, and anything that I felt was important.  Looking at my planner materialized my goals.  It showed me that they weren’t just in my head, but that they were in my reach. 

Discovering new goals each day was inspiring.  I wanted to achieve more and more.  Captain of the lacrosse team, diocesan scholar, leader of my high school retreat, a part-time job; nothing made me happier than being involved.  My dad told me that I couldn’t handle it all.  He said, “Remember, just because someone says you can’t do something, doesn’t mean you have to prove them wrong.”  I didn’t believe in that statement at all.  In my mind, it wasn’t about proving him wrong. It was about proving to myself that I could do anything I wanted if I gave it my all. 

Constantly having something to do makes each day worthwhile.  Not one day seems meaningless when there is a goal to be reached.  I believe that I owe my determination to my “to do lists.”  They taught me to treat each day as an empty slate.  They taught me to believe in endless opportunities and second chances.  They taught me to appreciate each day.  But most importantly, they taught me to never say can’t.  My “to do lists” give me the foundation in which all of my beliefs are based.

I finish jotting down my ideas and I look at my messy paper.  Even if it is something far-fetched, I’ll write it down because once it’s on paper, it’s no longer just a thought… its real.

Touché

In the heat of an ugly argument beliefs clash, fallacies fly, and contradictions arise.  But if the argument is effective, mindsets may change for the better.  The question is, how do you know when to change your mindset and agree that your opponent has justly proven themself correct?

"After an argument, silence may mean acceptance or the continuation of resistance by other means."-Mason Cooley.  This acceptance can be show through the simple word, "touché." It is defined as "the acknowledgement of the striking home of a remark or the capping of a witticism."  Don't be afraid of this word.  It can be your tool to having a better understanding of disputable topics.  Acknowledging another's wit is a mature way of understanding a new approach on the topic. 

The usual thought process before arguing may be similar to, "My understanding is correct and I am going to prove it by winning."  But what does it truly mean to win an argument? Maybe winning is proving that your beliefs are correct or maybe it is having a better understanding on the topic.  Both are advantages of arguing, but I believe the only way you can lose an argument is if you are too stubborn to admit the opponent is right.  

Being stubborn is a horrible trait.  It creates a resistance to learning new ideas and appreciating other's beliefs.  Yes, sometimes people's beliefs are very different and it is okay to stick up for what you believe in, but you must be perceptive.  People need to understand that an opinion doesn't make up a person's identity.  We must agree to disagree sometimes but still be willing to see the world through someone else's perception.

Entering an argument without an open mind is like entering a bet without anything to bet, you're not going to gain anything from the experience.  One must step into the shoes of their opponent in order to have a productive debate.

The method that this video discusses is the true objective of rhetorical dispute.  Take your opponent's mindset and do more than just disagree with it, pretend to believe it in order to understand perspective.  I believe the proper steps to an argument would be the following: (1) enter with an open mind, (2) understand both your own argument and your opponents', (3) and don't be afraid to change your understanding of the topic by simply saying "touché" when it is justly deserved.

PUNishment by comPUNies?

Persuasion is a beautiful thing.  Being able to take someone's ideas and change them simply through your own dialect can be a very powerful skill.  Rhetorical dispute raises new ideas that an individual may have never considered before.  Especially if your in the business field.  Maybe you never considered buying a Snuggie before, but an advertisement has never made a piece of cloth look so appealing.  They make your life before the product seem so dull and boring. 

They use a black and white setting with an overly-frustrated actress to make it seem like your life without this product is just too unbearable.  "This poor actress can't even cover her feet with her boring, old blanket!  Well, it is kind of hard to change the channel in a blanket.  Now I just have to have one!"  Are these the mental processes that we go through?  Or is it just so ridiculous that we simply have to participate in the Snuggie phenomenon. 

We fall into appealing advertisements that feed our need for a good laugh all the time.  When a commercial makes us laugh, we tell our friends about it.  This makes their company's name spread by word of mouth.  "Did you see that new commercial?"  Then they go on to explain the humor of the advertisement, but also the company.

What could be a better example of this blind persuasion than the Geico commercials.  They are known for being far-fetched but that is what makes them so appealing.  Without even explaining how they are better than other car insurance companies, their memorable commercials make their name seem more credible.  Geico is a prominent car insurance company, and their influential factor is due in part to their appealing advertisements.

Renowned companies aren't the only ones getting in on the PUNtential of new clients.  A subtle, yet witty, form of this humorous business persuasion is puns. 

Smaller businesses can make more of an impact on their small town simply through an appealing sign.  Similar to the reaction of the Geico commercials, "Hey did you see that sign at the new shoe repair down the street?"  "No, I never noticed that place."  This person now has a motive to look for the business.  While I don't believe that the first thing they are going to do is drive there and immediately find out about that business, I do believe that next time they need their shoes repaired they'll think of their new friend Jimmy. 

So is this a PUNishment?  I believe not.  The company and us are both benefiting from the advertising.  If we can't differientiate between being persuaded into buying something truely useful, as opposed to something that will be in our next garage sale, then what power do we have as customers?

Rhetoric can be used through persuasion in important issues such as political debates, but it can even be used in more subtle settings such as the family-run shoe repair around the corner.  The dynamics, universal meanings, and unique opinions of rhetoric are what make it so interesting to explore. 

Welcome

Welcome to my Rhetoric and Civic Life blog for my LA 101 H class for the Spring 2012 semester.