Rhetoric

What does rhetoric mean? It’s the ways in which signs influence people, says our book. I define it as this: Rhetoric has many different meanings; all are variations of the previous. It is how we speak, how we are influenced, and the ways in which we see or perceive things. The “media” has latched into this idea of rhetoric, and taken it to almost unheard of levels; between Twitter and Facebook, to the weekly magazines where we read about stars. Rhetoric is always staring at us in the face whether we like it or not. We can choose to ‘buy in’ or attempt to ignore it; however it is all around us.

Rhetoric in the sense of influence comes from all directions, down to what kind of toilet paper is the softest. This is where advertising has played it up, they are trying to convince you to buy their product and they use their various forms of rhetoric to convince you. Does it work? Sometimes it actually has the opposite effect, taking myself as an example; I will never buy Geico auto insurance, because I think they have the most obnoxious and annoying commercials.

Hitler had very good rhetoric, he used his verbal skills to communicate to the Germans, and make the entire country hate the Jews. Propaganda (visual rhetoric) was used by Hitler and his regime to make it seem like the Jews were the enemy and the Jews were actually trying to exterminate the Germans. The Germans believed Hitler’s verbal and visual rhetoric and carried out the Holocaust. I know this is a depressing example, but it was the most impactful way I could think of with solid reasons.

It is very important to see the ways people and signs influence you and others, because if you just listen to what is said, look at what is in front of you, or live like so-and-so say you should live, you will be like a turtle living in a cave; cooped up in your shell with no way out, secluded from knowledgeable people and then you just become hopeless.