Comparing Logic And Rhetoric In 'Thank You For Arguing'

Logic and Rhetoric Personal Narrative

Rhetoric can be described as language that is persuasive toward an audience or group of people. However, when thinking about rhetoric the first thing that comes to mind is arguments; if logic and rhetoric are present during arguments, becoming a better arguer is guaranteed. Without knowing the principles of logic and rhetoric individuals might get arguing and fighting confused with each other. Throughout Thank You for Arguing, college professor and author Jay Henrichs explains to his audience how to argue effectively, without making the argument become a fight. When communicating with others it can be easy to get lost in our own thoughts, leading to failed communication. Rhetoric allows us to strategize

There are multiple different ways to improve the way that we present our arguments and a few of them relate to the goals of our arguments, the tense we present our ideas in, and how we appeal to our audience.

One of the most important ideals when communicating with individuals is knowing what your goal is that you want to achieve by the end of the conversation. Knowing what is wanting to be accomplished can help change the way that we see arguments and how we respond to them. Going into an argument, it is strictly recommended that there is an intention behind what is being said. The key to effective communication is acknowledging the difference in arguing and fighting. The main goal in arguing is to “persuade your audience. You win a fight when you dominate the enemy”(16). While communicating the disagreement will never be solved if one person is always dominating and winning every argument. However, when persuading your audience, you get people to do what you want them to and the main goal is to hopefully come to a compromise or agreement. Before going into an argument it is crucial to know what your purpose of the argument is; do you want to change

Heinrichs expresses that individuals in society seem to thrive in a community where they fit in with other’s expectations. He uses the word decorum to describe the idea of fitting in with crowds; decorum does not necessarily mean acting like your peers, it tells the audience “‘do as I say and as I do’”(48). When trying to fit into a specific crowd, especially friends, it is important to be comfortable with your own opinions and know that civil arguments can be held. Recently, right after the pandemic, my friend from kindergarten and I left our friend group that we have had since the third grade. Before the pandemic, I grew up with a friend group that all felt comfortable with each other, knowing that we could talk about anything around anyone. However, my friend and I left that group because we felt that we had different views on big topics such as religion and politics. I did not agree with their ideals and I felt that I would get attacked as I presented my opinions. Now, looking back on this experience I realized that the reason why I left that group was because I did not fit in with my audience. I dressed differently from them, my values grew different from theirs, and we grew apart. Being able to appeal to the right audience while you are giving an argument will help you to persuade the others to see your side of the argument. Knowing how to