Thursday, July 30, 2015

Thank You For Arguing: Chapter 6 Summary

Chapter 6 Summary 
In Chapter six, virtue and understanding your audience's values was the main focus. By having some sense in virtue it allows you to connect with your audience on a level to where you both understand each other and trust each other. Now with this level of understanding this how you'll be able to understand there values. Usually the main value of your audience is things that'll benefit them such as money. For example, virtue plays a very big role in politics. Because think about it. Say you're running for president and you want to get voted for of course. As a candidate running for president it is your job to make the citizens find you the most appealing. You have to connect with them and understand that they want a president that can provide them with what hey value most.(Education, healthcare,work,ect.). So there's a basic understanding on how that works. Okay so as we move on in this chapter it talks on how you can boost your rhetoric virtue with bragging. You want your audience to know how good you are at whatever it is you do. You want them to know that you're a leader and that is exactly one thing your audience will value most. But at the same time you don't want to over brag on your self, that's why getting some one to brag for you can also increase your rhetoric virtue. Now your audience can see that some one can actually vouch for your leadership and good accomplishments, that'll make them value you more.You can also chose to reveal a tactical flaw to your audience. let them know you made a few mistakes while still letting know that your mistakes is what is going to make you better in whatever the situation may be. And finally you can switch sides with your audience or opponent. Think of it like this, you get home from school knowing you have a test coming up next week, but there's a party you want to go to this weekend. So you tell your mom you want to go to this party this weekend, already knowing her answer, but quickly jump to her side saying you wont go because you have to study for a test. With that form of virtue it could work depending on the situation but i personally wouldn't rely on it too often. In conclusion, virtue is just way of getting onto your audience level of trust and understanding.

Thank You For Arguing: Chapter 5 Summary

Chapter 5 Summary

So in this chapter the whole entire focus was on decorum and how making your audience like you give you a better chance on persuading them. So the chapter starts in a small talk on how decorum doesn't work every where you go. For instance, something you do at school may not be okay at another school. Decorum basically teaches you how to fit in with the people around you and to get them to be comfortable around you and like you. And after you get some one to like you, persuasion gets even easier from there. Later on into the chapter it says that fashion choices also has a play in decorum. Fashion plays a role in this because you have to dress the part your audience expect. Like say you got a clown for a party. Your gonna expect the clown to wear some silly clothes not a suit and brief case. Same thing goes for a nurse or doctor. They're not gonna show up to there patients with swim trunks and flip flops. Now lets talk about decorum that will work for others but not you. Okay so lets say you out with your friends or something like that and one of your friends caught the attention of someone you wouldn't normally do. Then later that week you try the same thing and you get an entirely different outcome you'd expected. That goes to show that some decorum that works for others may not be in your favor. So to conclude all this decorum is to true with your audience and do what they will expect you to do. None of your options and thoughts matter in a persuading situation   

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Thank You for Arguing Chapter:1 Summary

Chapter 1 Summary: Open Your Eyes
 In chapter one it started of by giving us a real world example on how arguing can lead to persuading some one into doing what you want. It also goes on to talk about how arguments lies behind every situation we encounter such as advertising, slang and gestures.In the section of chapter one, The Matrix,Only Cooler, says even our ancient ancestors even used rhetoric as a major part of their education. If it wasn't for the Greeks inventing it, we probably wouldn't have a democracy. Considering the fact that they created one of the worlds first. Later into the chapter in comes to a point where they talk on how "seduction" can get you more than just... sex. Okay, So basically there's two forms of seduction . You have sexual and non-sexual according the author. The non-sexual one is the type of seduction you can use to try to sell someone a product or convince someone to do something for you when you don't want to do it. For example, say you're at a restaurant and you know exactly what you want and don't want anything else. Then the server approaches you and convinces you that you should try one of there specials on the menu and you do. That server just seduced you into doing something you didn't want to do. In the last section it explains how argument is in our nature. Its something humans and animals share. For instance, animals have there way of marking there territory and protecting there women so other territorial males can't intrude. Us as humans do the exact same, just in an entirely different way of course. So let me put it in a way you'll understand. A man's territory will be his home and wife. So men will of course live his life the way his wife would like it so he wont lose her to another man, but at the same time take care of his territory(his house). I hope that made sense but in conclusion this section explained different ways you can use rhetoric in any argument or situation you encounter in many different ways.