03/27/2018

For a Persuasive Speech, Aim for the Heartstrings

Tap into your emotions to make your audience feel motivated

If you've ever taken a crash course in public speaking, you might know about the three rhetorical appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos. While ethos relies on your audience perceiving you as trustworthy or credible, logos refers to arguments and appeals that are perceived as logical.

But it's pathos, which refers to emotional appeals, that moves listeners. This tactic is employed by everyone from President Donald Trump to the biggest brand names on the market. So why is emotion so convincing?

Emotions are the main motivator of belief and action, and both psychologists and philosophers have spent considerable time justifying this claim. In fact, this concept dates back to ancient times, when Aristotle coined the very terms we're using to categorize appeals.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Inc.