We are being persuaded all the time. Sometimes we don't even think through what we are being told. This is especially crucial at our age…soon, I will be voting in elections. It is important that I am an educated voter. Media runs wild during election time, which is why its important to not be persuaded and to form our own educated opinions. Thats why its important to under stand how and why we are persuaded. Politicians utilize ethos, pathos, and logos to win over the votes from all over the country. They use ethos to appeal to fundamental rights that all Americans share. They use "buzz words" to sound more factual. These are normally words that mean nothing but sound smart. They use pathos to play on our fears and our worries, but also on our nostalgia and humor.
By being conscious of these techniques, we can look past the blaring advertisements and look at the facts. Once we have the facts straight we can make the best decision for us. This is one of the best things this class gave me. Besides becoming a better writer, it made me more conscious of the rhetoric that is constantly being thrown at me. I never viewed things like this through an analytical lens like this before this class. For that, I am grateful. It definitely slightly changed the way I view the world and the decisions I make.
I really like this post because the goal I wrote at the beginning of the semester that I had was to become a good persuasive writer. I think it would be very beneficial to be able to persuade people one way or another or convince them of an idea. Although I think this is valuable skill to have I also think it is important to not let others persuade you of something you may not have thought prior to being persuaded. It has positive and negative sides to it.
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