I liked this categorization of three types of tools of persuasion developed by Aristotle:
- Ethos: Appeals to a sense of ethics, morals, and character.
- Logos: Appeals to a sense of logic, reason, and rationality.
- Pathos: Appeals to a sense of emotion, empathy, and passion.
I don't know about most people, but I don't get convinced easily.
You need to show me, prove it to me, or convince me it's right.
Some others, and I don't know why--it's like you can sell them the Brooklyn Bridge, as they say.
I think that's dangerous!
Without critical thinking and evaluation, people can get led astray to do the wrong things...a perfect example is Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler (may his memory be forever cursed).
Hitler appealed to the Germans people at the time:
- Emotionally to bring them back from the loss, destruction, and destitution that World War I inflicted and of course, to scapegoat the Jews, Gypsies, and political opponents and send them to the death camps.
- Logically, that they were a strong and powerful people, the "Aryan nation," and they therefore, deserved to conquer and rule Europe and the World.
- Ethically--let's just say, this one didn't really apply to Hitler, probably the most evil and destructive man this world has ever known, except that even Hitler tried to fool his people falsely proclaiming, "G-d is with us!"
It's a war of good over evil out there, and we need to make our arguments to influence and persuade for the good, but we also have to be careful not to let others, who are not so good, manipulate us for their own selfish and depraved ends.
Ethos, Logos, and Pathos--potent tools or weapons in the direction of mankind and civilization. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Persuasion x 3
I thought this was an interesting sign this gentlemen had.
It says:
"Those who reject Jesus do so because of sin, not science or evidence."
Overall, religion is a matter of personal faith not to be argued, but rather when based to good, to be wholly respected.
This argument though was basically saying, not to reject this particular tenet of faith of a major religion because there is "not science or evidence" from which to reject.
But usually, don't we look for science or evidence to accept or do something.
In other words, the default usually is that if you want me to believe in something or somebody, prove to me why I should.
It's a bad argument when you ask me to prove to you why you shouldn't believe in something.
Very often this is the same argument people use in relationships and in organizations.
We do the same thing everyday or over and over again, and we often don't ask ourselves why we do it this way or believe this is a good way of doing something...we just do it.
And in fact, when someone new comes in with "fresh eyes" and questions why we do it a certain way or have we considered another approach, we ask them to prove to us with "science or evidence" why their way is better, rather than reexamine our own ways and means.
I'm not in any way questioning here G-d or religion, but rather simply our approach to self-examination, introspection, and betterment.
Don't ask me to prove to you why you should reject something, but rather be prepared to defend your hypothesis. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Arguing The Negative
This was a funny sign this morning in the elevator.
Someone found a set of dentures on the table in the lobby!
Uh, what was someone doing taking out their dentures and putting them on a public table in the lobby?
I remember my beloved Opa (grandfather) who had quite a set of dentures (years ago they couldn't as readily save people's teeth as they can today).
When my sister and I would go over to my Opa and Oma for Shabbat lunch after synagogue, and sometime right before Birchas Hamazon (grace after meals), my grandfather would invariably end up taking out his dentures and we would all laugh together at how silly those things looked.
But thank G-d for those dentures, beause I don't know how people would eat solid food or smile a non-gummy smile without them.
Of course, I hope whoever lost their dentures in the lobby isn't going crazy searching for them, sees the lost and found sign, and claims them soon.
Anyway, can you imagine going down to the lobby and seeing someone's false teeth just laying there randomly on the table or when they go to the front desk to claim their lost dentures, and the person behind the desk says, "Well Sir (or Madam), can you put them in your mouth and prove that they are yours?" ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Can't Find My Dentures
