Tools of Persuasion

Persuasion is all around us. Even though we may not realize it, we are constantly being persuaded to think or feel a certain way. The main tools of persuasion are ethos, logos, and pathos.

1. Ethos is an appeal to ethics, and it is used to convince the audience of the speaker’s credibility or character. Ethos is an appeal to ethics. It is the use of authority or credibility to make an argument. For ethos to be effective, the person using it must be seen as credible or trustworthy. For example, a doctor’s opinion on whether or not medication should be taken would be more convincing than a non-medical expert’s.
2. Logos is an appeal to logic, and it is used to persuade the audience by using reasoning or facts. Logos is an appeal to logic. When you use logos in persuasion, you are trying to convince your audience by using facts and figures. This can be done with statistics, data, charts, or any other type of reasoning that is clear and concise. You want to present the information so it’s easy for the reader to follow. If they’re not following along then they won’t believe what you’re saying and will become resistant to your message. To make sure people are understanding your argument, you need to take care in how you organize and present the information.
3. Pathos is an appeal to emotion, and it is used to persuade the audience by appealing to their fears or needs. Pathos is an emotional appeal that can be used to persuade an audience. This type of persuasion relies on creating an emotional connection with the audience, which can be done by telling a story or using language that evokes an emotional response. For example, people are more likely to donate money to charity if they are given vivid descriptions of how it will help people in need.

These three tools can be combined in many different ways, such as with logos and pathos.

Everyone has to deal with persuasion tactics and tools persuasion daily. We may not realize it, but we see them every day in the workplace, in our government, and even in our personal lives. Every time you visit a doctor, you’re being persuaded to buy what they have to sell. Every time you walk into a car dealership or go online to shop, someone wants you to give them your money by making a purchase decision that favours their company over another one. And every time you vote for someone running for office, you’re being persuaded to go with that candidate over the other one(s).