Three Pillars of Persuasion: Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Three Pillars of Persuasion

Little progress has remained made in the art of presenting since Aristotle. He wrote more than 2,300 years ago in his famous Rhetoric that there are three types of persuasive arguments or modes of appeal in a speech: those connected to ethos, pathos and logos

Also read: Webinar: What is it, and How to use it in your Content Strategy?

1. Arguments linked to the Ethos

They are of an affective and moral order and concern the issuer of the speech. They are, in short, the attitudes that he must adapt to inspire confidence in his audience. Aristotle wrote in Book I of his Rhetoric:

“ Good men we believe more fully and with less hesitation; this is generally true whatever the issue, and true where absolute certainty is impossible and opinions remain divided.

2. Arguments Referring to Pathos

They are of a purely affective order and fundamentally linked to the recipient of the speech. Seth Godin opines on his blog :

It is not the facts that change the behaviour of people. This is an emotion that changes your behaviour. It is the stories and irrational impulses that change behaviour. Neither the facts nor the bullet point lists .

To my knowledge, smokers don’t quit when they read statistics on lung cancer; they stop smoking when they or people close to them have cancer. Indeed, as emotional arguments, stories, anecdotes, analogies, metaphors, similes can remain used, all told with passion. Effective stories resonate in the hearts of the audience.

The Christian scientist, writer and philosopher, Blaise Pascal, correctly stated that “the heart has reasons that reason ignores.

3. The Arguments linked to logos

They stick to the theme and the message itself of the discourse, entering here the proper domain of the Dialectic. Logical arguments supported by solid evidence are used, appealing to reason and the intelligence of the audience.

Find the Balance Between Analytical and Emotional Exposure

Stephen R. Covey defines these three arguments very clearly in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People :

“Ethos is personal credibility, the faith that people have in our integrity and competence. It is the trust we inspire, our emotional bank account. Pathos is the empathic side, the feeling. It means that one remains aligned with the emotional impulse of another person’s communication. Logos is the logic, the reasoned part of the exhibition. ”

To maintain credibility with the audience ( ethos ) a speaker needs to strike a balance between their logical ( logos ) and emotional ( pathos ) arguments. It is necessary to present facts in a presentation accompanied by an emotional appeal. In our presentations, we often make the mistake of basing all our persuasive argumentation on data and facts ( logos ) neglecting the other two, especially the emotional appeal ( pathos ). We forget that emotion moves action more than reason.

Also read: What is Newsjacking, And How can you apply it?

In addition, you can find more helpful resources at Smart Tech Data.

Review Three Pillars of Persuasion: Ethos, Pathos, Logos.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

Why Middle East Translators Are Highly Sought After

As the world becomes more connected and information becomes accessible on the digital network 24/7, the need for understanding and communicating between people has...

Watch Sulthan Tamil Movie Download Online for Free

Sulthan Tamil Movie Download is a dramatic film based on Tamil India 2021 language, written and directed by Bakkyaraja Kannan, produced by S. R....

Why Hiring an Agent Will Help You and Your Script Succeed

If you're a writer, then you know that the process of getting your work published can be long and arduous. You may have written...

SEO for YouTube: Position your Videos above all

YouTube is an internet portal, which allows users to upload and view videos. Features a variety of clips from movies, TV shows, and music videos. In the...

How To Start A Small Business And How To Open Your Own Online Store

A lot of the time your business initiatives do not progress to advanced levels due to certain monetary restraints that an entrepreneur may have....

Translation Services Guide for Creating Content for Germany’s Digital Marketing Niche

Although 56% of Germany’s population can speak English, many prefer to be marketed in German. As one of the largest markets out there, there’s...

How Can SaaS Marketing Automation Tool Help Your Business?

A marketing automation tool is one of the most important aspects of any business. It helps in improving sales and reducing costs in a...

Top 5 Reasons to get certified in Agile ScrumMaster

All about Agile: Defining agile, the most important thing to say is that its on which the current economy and market is working upon. It...