How to Create Ethos

By -
     We’ve already discussed what ethos is, and why it’s important. Now, we’ll fully discuss the techniques used to evoke it. 
     (As a side-note, don’t expect to be able to implement every one of these ideas at once. Utilizing these techniques is a process that takes time.)
     Remember that there are two types of ethos, Observed Ethos and Evoked Ethos. Observed ethos has to do with the way the audience perceives you, but it isn't something you deliberately create for the purpose of persuasion. Evoked ethos has to do specifically with what you say about your background and authority. 
     Controlling your perceived ethos is fairly simple, because the rules have already been set for you by society. Follow the dress codes at events, dress yourself neatly, and make sure your clothes are clean and free of stains. We constantly judge people for their appearance, even if it’s subconscious, so control this for your advantage.
     Although it should go without saying, make sure that your hygiene habits are well developed. Be clean, smell good, and shower frequently. If you don't, people will notice, and it will detract from your charismatic aura. 
     The next step begins to blur the line between evoked and observed ethos. The way you act could be considered deliberate, but people are always watching, so small actions are observed. Have a firm handshake, smile, be courteous. Increase your vocabulary, but don’t be pretentious. Be helpful, and let your actions expose your principles, because people notice. 
     For evoked ethos, the rules aren't as cut and dried. Rather than even giving rules, I'm going to give a few instructive examples. If you were the president addressing the nation after police shootings, it might be a bad idea to mention your background in police work. Knowing the background of your audience is really important. However, if you were addressing a group at a police banquet, then you should almost definitely mention your experience, because it gives a connection and commonality with your audience. 
     Notice that each of these examples involves the calculated revelation of information to make yourself more appealing to an audience. That is the essence of evoked ethos, the analysis of personal information to determine its persuasive value.
     By using both of these ideas, you make yourself the most persuasive person possible, and you can win more friends and influence more people (a reference to the book of the same name). As always, feel free to contact me with any questions about rhetoric. and good luck in all your persuasive endeavors.


Jack Lodmell

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is Ethos?

By -
Image
     Have you ever seen a speaker who is obviously unprepared and looking unprofessional? What about an athlete who endorses a sporting goods product? What about a business which has a dress code for it’s employees? All of these occurrences are based in the Aristotelean idea of ethos.      In order to fully understand ethos, we have to reach back to the roots of classical rhetoric.  Aristotle, in his book Ars Rhetorica , enumerated three modes of persuasion: logos, pathos, and ethos. Logos was considered logical proof, such as statistics, data, and other types of formal reasoning. Pathos is an emotional appeal, like when a commercial sets a particular emotional mood that’s persuasive. But ethos is more difficult to define.       In his typical wordy style, Aristotle defines ethos as persuasion “achieved by the speaker's personal character when the speech is so spoken as to make us think him credible.” To break that down a bit further, it is the way the audience feels about a s
Read more

Don’t Be Boring

By -
Your speeches are boring. Did I just say that? Have I implied that your rhetorical ventures are utterly boring? Well, yes.    The first piece of a speech, as taught within the scope of Rhetoric, is your ‘Introduction’. This is a critical part in your speech, as it sets the mood for your audience. Your first few words determine how your audience perceives you.    Let me be clear about this. The ‘Introduction’, in a speech, is the first part of your ‘Delivery’ (another important part of your speech). You must captivate your audience with your Introduction.    Of course when I give this advice, I assume you already know of the importance of knowing your audience. The first step that must be taken before you even invent your speech (I say ‘Invent’ because of the part of Rhetoric called ‘Invention’), is understanding your audience. What sort of culture(s) do they live in? What do all of your audience members have in common? Are you addressing a crowd of Southern, G
Read more