It’s Time to Tell the Ref to Whistle

I thought that there was only one rule when you were talking, “think before you speak” turns out there is an actual thought out rule about argument. There would be no point if an argument has no rules, and you always have to “remain intent on real persuasion”(158).

Even if arguments give you the freedom to make your own decisions and sometimes even say what comes to mind, there should in fact be some ground rules in order for the argument to be much better.

Sometimes logos won’t get you were you want with your argument and it can turn everything around.

Ethos and pathos are forms of manipulating the crowd that will guarantee your vote more than logos ever would.

Ethos and pathos can make you look “strong, passionate, and reasonable”(162). A fallacy can sometimes “fail to persuade”(162).

As repeated in various chapters, we want “to get the audience on his [our] side”(163). You should use past and present tense to make your argument stronger. You should try to use the future and make plans about how you can improve. Instead of blaming my sister for being late to school, I should instead talk to her and discuss what we can do to deal with the problem and what we can do to fix it later on.

You shouldn’t stick to the present tense when you are in the position of making a choice. You will never win the argument if you do that, you will automatically “commit a foul”(166).

In an argument, when you use threat there isn’t really space to make a choice, and this throws off the whole point of an argument. Parents use threat. They use it a lot.

You have to go to the dentist or you’ll get cavities.

That’s it, you have to go if your parents use that move.

In hollywood they take rhetoric to a whole other level and use threats permanently to prove their points. 

Even if rhetoric is in fact very free there are still some things you have to follow in order for your argument to be successful.