The use of rhetoric is very important for daily lives. It is a positive way to get what you desire in a useful manner. If you get in a situation, the use of rhetoric gives you a way to talk yourself out of it and end up with the best result possible.
Thank You for Arguing gives a wonderful example of how to argue your way to victory. For example, the author of Thank You for Arguing uses the example of getting pulled over by the cops. If you want to get out of a speeding ticket, you probably don’t want to use sarcasm and attitude as your first option. This is where the usefulness of rhetoric comes along. Think through your words and put them in a tone that makes the police officer seem correct. This will more than likely make them happy and give you some leniency. The use of rhetorical argument here makes it seem as though the cops win which makes them happy, but in reality, if you get off without a ticket, you won that situation. If you know the skills of rhetor, then you can be prepared for any situation. Rhetoric is a helpful tactic to use for anything and is good to know for any future circumstances that it may need to be used for.
So, I see the point that is trying to be made however, isn't that using rhetoric in a negative connotation and not necessarily a good thing that is being implied here. If we are going to say rhetoric is a good thing shouldn't we use an example with an actual good outcome unlike getting off without a ticket?
ReplyDeleteI do believe in the books example with the cop, is a fantastic way to use Rhetoric. It is also not a bad way to use it in my opinion. You left the cop feeling like he won and is right; and you got out of a ticket. In this usage of rhetoric it was not used in a bad way, and I believe it is completely ok to use it in this way.
ReplyDeleteI think rhetoric is a great subject to study, but I believe that people can definitely overdo themselves if they take everything away from this book. I believe that this can read to white lying and can negatively effect the relationships in your life. It is good to use in some situations, but just be careful when you catch yourself using it with family and friends.
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