User Profile

I APPEAL TO EMOTION.

My most important instruments are my character, my appeal to emotion, and my appeal to reason, I give much thought and study to using these well. Above all I remember that I am assuming the position of a leader, and hence must show myself to my audience in the best possible light as likeable and admirable. I well understand what my audience likes and dislikes, what appear to be true arguments to them, and what would be very hard for them to understand or accept. Hence I understand both the obvious and the hidden motives of human behaviour. While the poetic writer studies the characters about whom he writes; I study the characters to whom I write or speak.

Before writing I ask myself: "What is my audience like? What kind of people do they trust and admire? What are the things in life which they value or fear? What rules of conduct do they really respect and follow? What kind of experience guides them in deciding practical questions?" I ask myself what the members of a given audience have in common. Are they united by their virtue and ideals (for example, priests, sisters, doctors, lawyers, or experts of some sort), or by their riches (businessmen), or their poverty (a crowd in the street)? I also consider their nationality, religion, and education, and whether they are young, middle-aged, or old.

In order to sway all these classes of people I concern myself with arousing love and hate, anger and benevolence, fear, shame, kindness, pity, and envy. I do not do this, however, in order to make you act from blind emotion like an animal. I'm no propagandist, nor the leader of a lynch-mob who whips his audience into a blind frenzy of hate and fear. I'm genuine. I appeal to your emotions to lead you to truth and to a more reasonable way of acting. I appeal to what is best in you, and I study selfish and evil emotions, not in order to produce them, but in order to prevent them from interfering with right action.

I move you to do what is right, I do not merely advertise any product I am hired to sell, promote any program adopted by my political party, nor defend any criminal who hires me as a lawyer, I know ethics and the art of good human living, so I know what is truly virtuous and honorable, and I have a thoughtful acquaintance with politics and practical affairs.





note to self:

Q&A&Q&A&Q&A&Q&A&Q&A&Q&A&Q&A&Q&A&QA&&QA&&QA&&AQ&A&

Friends (17):

Mutual Friends (11):

Also Friend of (3):