February Blog

Kasey Hamer

Comm 160

3/1/18

Blog Post 2

Out of the readings that we have done so far for this section, what stood out the most to me were those that are concerned with rhetoric. As I finish my fifth and final year as a communication major at BSU I have studied rhetoric rather consistently throughout my years here. With that being said, the sentence from the Rhetoric in Civic Life reading that made me really think was, “The audience determines the objective of rhetoric.” This stood out to me because it was a certain way to think about rhetoric that just clicked in my mind. Even with all of my prior knowledge of rhetoric, it was this quote that made me realize that no matter how credible someone is, how well they connect with the emotions of the listeners, or how much logical proof they have to support their argument or views, there is still going to be a unique understanding of the purpose of one’s rhetoric for each person that listens to it. I always had it in my mind that a truly effective rhetor would be able to control the views of an audience to match their own. In some respects I think that this persuasive element is still very true and is a major part of the art of rhetoric, but I just lost sight of the unique experiences that each person holds that has an effect on the way they interpret messages. Although, I do think this is more directly related to the pathos appeals present in one’s rhetoric. Even still, depending on the people making up an audience, it is going to be impossible for even the most skilled rhetor to reach everyone on the same level. When it comes down to it, some may simply disagree no matter how convincing of an argument is presented. This idea makes me think of some examples we have seen recently with our president. Obviously one side is in agreement with our president’s decisions while the other is opposed even though the same information is presented. There is certainly a lot to think about within the realm of rhetoric and it is all quite interesting.