Humans’ actions and thoughts are complex, many people spend their lives researching why people act in certain ways. In the TED Talk ‘Why we do what we do’, Tony Robbins, motivational speaker and life coach, helps people understand the reasons behind their actions in order to show how they can reach their full potential and use it to help and understand others. The rhetorical and speaking strategies used in his speech aided him in his effort to reach his audience. The ethos and pathos were very strong and bolstered his message, but his attempt at being logical did not improve the quality of his speech, and affected the extent his audience will take his message to heart. At the very beginning of Robbins’ speech, he establishes his credibility and takes hold of the audience's emotions in order to push his message into the minds of his audience. He prompts laughter when he states that as a motivational speaker “the shortest seminar I usually do is 50 hours.” Their confidence in his ability to provide excellent knowledge on this topic is strong, allowing the information to settle in their minds without doubts. Combined with the pathetic response to his quote, the audience becomes relaxed and trusting. Robbins gets their emotions involved from the very start because he knows that they are one of the biggest motivating factors behind actions. …show more content…
His speaking skills, eye contact, and posture make the audience confident in his ability to improve their lives, making up for the lack of logic, and adding to his ethical and emotional appeal. The audience was so entranced with his speaking abilities and caught up in his message, they missed how the information seemed to jump around. The transitions between main points were seamless, so when only listening the first time it is not noticeable. It is the topics that are not put in a logical order and overall make him seem like he is not a credible