One of the areas that caught my attention was the information about fallacies. I think it is interesting that so many arguments are built around fallacies, and most of the time, the public doesn't even realize it. Although fallacies don't provide hard facts, they can be used to create great emotions in the public. For this reason, fallacies are a great tool to use in persuading an audience.
When I think about fallacies, I usually think about politicians. As I read through the ten fallacies listed on page 272, each one reminded me of an approach that would be used in a campaign. In some ways fallacies help speeches buy creating emotional responses in the public. If I was to hear a speech that used "Glittering Generality", it would cause me to be more interested in the speech. Although fallacies are not strong support, they do make speeches more interesting for the public. Straight facts get boring after a while, and fallicies are a way to stir up emotions.
On the other hand, I do believe that fallicies are part of the reason why some wrong canidates are placed into positions of power. A speech with too many fallacies caused the public to be mislead. For this reason I believe that too many fallacies create bad situations. Used in moteration, I think that they can be powerful tools though!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
best and worst speaker - chapter 9 post 2
The best speaker that I have ever heard is actually one of my dance teachers. I'm not sure if it's because he discusses topics that interest me, but for some reason his words really effected me. Last year I had to take a dance history class and he was the teacher. While he discussed each different important person, it was interesting because he had his own personal story about the person. Since he danced with many of the important figures that we were required to learn about, it made the class respect him more. He had a sense of power and credibility in the dance world, so we understood that what he told us was very important information.
Since he was also very passionate about the topic, it caused us to be more inspired. He often went into discussions about how poorly the arts are funded in California and how we have the power to change that. He also made all of us aware that we are responsible for the history of our art. If we don't care enough to learn about where it came from, then the history of our art would gradually be lost over the years. Basically he made us realize that if the dancers of our generation don't care about our art, then no one else will either.
While speaking he really began to expose his true colors. Since he was very passionate about the topic, we all began to hear the emotion and frustration in his voice. Through this process we also were able to identify with him and see him as more than just a teacher. It was crazy because I actually looked forward to history class. I hope one day to be able to inspire my students the same way that he has inspired me.
One of the worst speakers that I have ever heard was a person in one of my classes last summer. English was her second language, which was a problem in itself, but she also was scared to death to talk in front of people. All that we had to do was stand up and say 3 things that we learned from the class and 1 thing that we hated about the class. She made a huge deal about speaking and people literally had to push her to stand up.
The whole time she covered her face and giggled. At first we all felt sort of bad and wanted to encourage her, but eventually it got really annoying. She would say one word and then start laughing and covering her face again. I feel like if she would have just said what she needed to say quickly, then she wouldn't have had to spend as much time in front of the class. When she finished, I realized that I had no idea what she even said cause I was so focused on her presentation. It made me realize that regardless of how nervous I may be to speak infront of a large audience, it makes it worse to freak out in front of the audience.
Since he was also very passionate about the topic, it caused us to be more inspired. He often went into discussions about how poorly the arts are funded in California and how we have the power to change that. He also made all of us aware that we are responsible for the history of our art. If we don't care enough to learn about where it came from, then the history of our art would gradually be lost over the years. Basically he made us realize that if the dancers of our generation don't care about our art, then no one else will either.
While speaking he really began to expose his true colors. Since he was very passionate about the topic, we all began to hear the emotion and frustration in his voice. Through this process we also were able to identify with him and see him as more than just a teacher. It was crazy because I actually looked forward to history class. I hope one day to be able to inspire my students the same way that he has inspired me.
One of the worst speakers that I have ever heard was a person in one of my classes last summer. English was her second language, which was a problem in itself, but she also was scared to death to talk in front of people. All that we had to do was stand up and say 3 things that we learned from the class and 1 thing that we hated about the class. She made a huge deal about speaking and people literally had to push her to stand up.
The whole time she covered her face and giggled. At first we all felt sort of bad and wanted to encourage her, but eventually it got really annoying. She would say one word and then start laughing and covering her face again. I feel like if she would have just said what she needed to say quickly, then she wouldn't have had to spend as much time in front of the class. When she finished, I realized that I had no idea what she even said cause I was so focused on her presentation. It made me realize that regardless of how nervous I may be to speak infront of a large audience, it makes it worse to freak out in front of the audience.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Well known speaker - chapter 9 - post 1
I know that many other people already used this example, but a well known speaker that I really admire is Oprah. The great thing about her is that she speaks and acts like a normal American. She doesn't try to be too profound with her statements but rather is very relatable. She discusses topics that apply to the general public and does as much as possible to help the less fortunate.
Since Oprah hasn't been a huge scandal in the tabloids, she holds a great deal of credibility. People respect what she says because she has been so successful and has done a great job keeping her image positive. In some ways people strive to be more like her, so they really do listen to what she says. She has been named one of the most powerful women in America not only because she has a lot of money, but because she shares her money with people who need it more than her. Over the years Oprah has gotten made fun of about her weight, but in reality she turned her disadvantages into her own personal style. Although she may not be the most attractive women in the word, she still has a great sense of style.
The three areas listed above help creat Oprahs great ethos. Every show I feel like she is directly talking to the public and covering topics that would help improve their lives. I think that if she had more ethos, it may come off as being cheesy or fake. She also may begin to show a side of her personal character which isn't really as appropriate. For this reason, I don't think that Oprah needs any more ethos. The amount that she displays makes her seem more honest and reliable.
Since Oprah hasn't been a huge scandal in the tabloids, she holds a great deal of credibility. People respect what she says because she has been so successful and has done a great job keeping her image positive. In some ways people strive to be more like her, so they really do listen to what she says. She has been named one of the most powerful women in America not only because she has a lot of money, but because she shares her money with people who need it more than her. Over the years Oprah has gotten made fun of about her weight, but in reality she turned her disadvantages into her own personal style. Although she may not be the most attractive women in the word, she still has a great sense of style.
The three areas listed above help creat Oprahs great ethos. Every show I feel like she is directly talking to the public and covering topics that would help improve their lives. I think that if she had more ethos, it may come off as being cheesy or fake. She also may begin to show a side of her personal character which isn't really as appropriate. For this reason, I don't think that Oprah needs any more ethos. The amount that she displays makes her seem more honest and reliable.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
One idea that really got me thinking in this chapter was the idea that communication is a game. This week I became much more aware of the next "move" I would make while communicating. I began to also notice something very interesting. Some people that I communicated with made their "move", but as I responded, they did not recive my message, and carried on about what they were saying. Other people who did recieve my message actually developed their thoughts. It was interesting because the signals that each person sent out directly effected my next move. In each group my word choice and "moves" varried, but my main objective always was to create a positive outcome for myself.
The weirdest thing was when I realized that humans learn how to do this within a split second. Most people desire acceptance from their peers, so when a friend says something to them, they understand the correct thing to say in order to obtain such acceptance. We often don't spend much time thinking about the right thing to do or say, but rather have learned how to do so over time. People who are better at the game have possibly learned how to put out more socially acceptable responses quickly. On the other hand, people who are not as good at the game, may not have learned as much.
One type of communication that I believe allows much more time to send out messages is communication through the internet. While speaking to someone online, a person is able to carefully construct the appropriate language to gain control of the game. They also have the option to delete or re-phrase their statments if they dont like how it appears before sending it. Overall, I find it very interesting that we learned how to play this game throughout our lifetime.
The weirdest thing was when I realized that humans learn how to do this within a split second. Most people desire acceptance from their peers, so when a friend says something to them, they understand the correct thing to say in order to obtain such acceptance. We often don't spend much time thinking about the right thing to do or say, but rather have learned how to do so over time. People who are better at the game have possibly learned how to put out more socially acceptable responses quickly. On the other hand, people who are not as good at the game, may not have learned as much.
One type of communication that I believe allows much more time to send out messages is communication through the internet. While speaking to someone online, a person is able to carefully construct the appropriate language to gain control of the game. They also have the option to delete or re-phrase their statments if they dont like how it appears before sending it. Overall, I find it very interesting that we learned how to play this game throughout our lifetime.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
pragmatic perspective - chapter 2 post #2
I actually just had a conversation with my friend about communication being a sort of pattern. When I first started at SJSU, I only had one friend. This required me to interact with other people in hopes to form some sort of other friendships. While doing this I first started by observing the ways that each social group interacted with eachother. I gradually ended up conversing with different members of each group in a manner that I believed to be appropriate, based on what I had observed. As each day went on, I gradually began to understand the best way to communicate with each group, and within each seperate group, my communication style slightly varried. The sort of tone or word choice I used in each group began to form a sort of pattern. I understood what I needed to say to get the response I desired, and I continued that patteren in order to create friendships.
I also believe that communication is a lot like a game. People are able to learn different strategies to obtain their desired position. One person may initiate an interaction through body language or through speech. As would be done in a game of chess, the other person responds and has the ability to cause a reaction, or create an opinion within the first person. This may spark a new thought in the first persons mind, and as they vocalize it, the second person is able to absorb the information that they sent out and form an opinion. Each time an individual communicates, it a like a move in a game. Some moves bring a positive effect and others cause a negative. Also, some people are better at the game than others.
On the other hand, there are many things that make communication much different than a game. I am a huge fan of intrapersonal communication. I think it is very interesting that humans have the ability to communicate with themself! I have a huge issue with negative self talk. I tend to think very poorly about myself, and in response, I never end up being able to accomplish what I want. I have tried to use more positive self talk, but it never really changes anything. When people use self talk, they are actually creating their own self image. This is in no way like a game because all that the person is doing is collecting their own opinions about who they are. In regards to intrapersonal communication, it resembles a pattern much more than a game.
I also believe that communication is a lot like a game. People are able to learn different strategies to obtain their desired position. One person may initiate an interaction through body language or through speech. As would be done in a game of chess, the other person responds and has the ability to cause a reaction, or create an opinion within the first person. This may spark a new thought in the first persons mind, and as they vocalize it, the second person is able to absorb the information that they sent out and form an opinion. Each time an individual communicates, it a like a move in a game. Some moves bring a positive effect and others cause a negative. Also, some people are better at the game than others.
On the other hand, there are many things that make communication much different than a game. I am a huge fan of intrapersonal communication. I think it is very interesting that humans have the ability to communicate with themself! I have a huge issue with negative self talk. I tend to think very poorly about myself, and in response, I never end up being able to accomplish what I want. I have tried to use more positive self talk, but it never really changes anything. When people use self talk, they are actually creating their own self image. This is in no way like a game because all that the person is doing is collecting their own opinions about who they are. In regards to intrapersonal communication, it resembles a pattern much more than a game.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
I think that our culture requires us to live in many different communication worlds. When we are interacting with different people our groups, we may tend to modify our behavior in order to be accepted. For example, if I was to have a conversation with a professor, I may communicate differently than I would with my friends.
One of the best things about living in the Bay Area is the amount of diversity that surrounds us. Throught my life time, I have had many peers who have complained to me about something that another peer had said or done. The thing that they may not have understood was that it was not thier intention to cause such a negative reaction. In their culture they may have a different way of expressing themself than the other person may be used to. This does not make one person right and one person wrong. It just makes them different. By being able to detect such differences, communication between others may begin to improve.
In our culture, I feel like public high schools send out the message that you have to have a career in either math or science in order to be successful in life. If you are not good in either of such areas, then they make you feel like you will not be successful in life. In contrast, many other cultrures feel that the arts are the most important aspect of life. Some cultures, such as a Aborigional people of Australia actually used dance to communicate.
Since I am a dance and communication studies major, I often hear, "Well what are you going to do with that?" People in our culture automatically assume that since I am a dance major, I am taking the easy way out. In reality each of my two unit classes are two hours rather than normal three unit classes that are only an hour and fifteen minutes. On top of that, some classes are only offered once every other year, which means most semesters you are required to take at least 8 classes in order to graduate in time. In my opinion, my dance degree is much more difficult than my Communications Studies degree but most people in our culture will never understand that or appreciate the work that has been put into it.
In contrast, if I was a dancer in a culture that respected or admired dancers, then I may be viewed as very successful. Some cultures believe that happiness and spiritual growth are what determine success. Unfortunately, our culture believes that money equals success. Although I love going to school and being able to learn about my passion everyday, it is hard to hear that people think I'm going to be unsuccessful because I wont have as much money as a doctor or an engineer. Maybe one day people will understand that money doesn't always buy happiness.
One of the best things about living in the Bay Area is the amount of diversity that surrounds us. Throught my life time, I have had many peers who have complained to me about something that another peer had said or done. The thing that they may not have understood was that it was not thier intention to cause such a negative reaction. In their culture they may have a different way of expressing themself than the other person may be used to. This does not make one person right and one person wrong. It just makes them different. By being able to detect such differences, communication between others may begin to improve.
In our culture, I feel like public high schools send out the message that you have to have a career in either math or science in order to be successful in life. If you are not good in either of such areas, then they make you feel like you will not be successful in life. In contrast, many other cultrures feel that the arts are the most important aspect of life. Some cultures, such as a Aborigional people of Australia actually used dance to communicate.
Since I am a dance and communication studies major, I often hear, "Well what are you going to do with that?" People in our culture automatically assume that since I am a dance major, I am taking the easy way out. In reality each of my two unit classes are two hours rather than normal three unit classes that are only an hour and fifteen minutes. On top of that, some classes are only offered once every other year, which means most semesters you are required to take at least 8 classes in order to graduate in time. In my opinion, my dance degree is much more difficult than my Communications Studies degree but most people in our culture will never understand that or appreciate the work that has been put into it.
In contrast, if I was a dancer in a culture that respected or admired dancers, then I may be viewed as very successful. Some cultures believe that happiness and spiritual growth are what determine success. Unfortunately, our culture believes that money equals success. Although I love going to school and being able to learn about my passion everyday, it is hard to hear that people think I'm going to be unsuccessful because I wont have as much money as a doctor or an engineer. Maybe one day people will understand that money doesn't always buy happiness.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Speaker I admire - chapter 1 post 3
A speaker who I admire is my boss, Mike Burges. I work for a company called the United Spirit Association, and in order to be hired within the company there is an audition process. They evaluate you not only on your dance ability, but also your personalty and teaching ability. Although hundreds of people try out throughout the country, only 7 new individuals are chosen every year. Our boss personally contacts each individual and explains to them how excited he is to have them as an instructor.
Each year we have a staff training event where employees from all over the country come together. Within the training, he speaks to us on a number of occasions. When he speaks, he has a way of making a person feel important. Through pathos, he is able to make every employee feel like a family member and motivates us to not only be better teachers, but better people. To me it seems as if he is not the typical boss. It really seems as if he has our own personal success in mind. Since he started out in the same position as us and has experienced many of the same situations as us, we are able to identify with his personal character.
He also does a great job using ethos. As soon as he opens his mouth, it is clear that he is very passionate about his job. He explains the impact that we have on some of our students and evokes many emotions within us. Each year he also sets up an awards ceremony where he honors people who have been with the company for many years. Within those ceremonies many tears are expressed and you can her the true emotion in his voice while speaking about each person.
He also does a great job organizing his thoughts. Everything he says has a logical order and he does not include useless information. He also doesn't get sidetracked easily or carry on about useless information. He only provides the most useful examples and cracks jokes that apply to our situation. Overall I think that Aristotle's classification scheme works great for him.
I don't believe I am quite as persuasive as him, but I still do have my moments. While teaching I try to push my students to a place where they can accomplish reasonable goals. I use ethos by explaining my own experiences with the task they are trying to overcome. This way my students get to know me better. I also have a great passion for what I am doing so I sometimes may use pathos in exess. Since dance commonly expresses emotion, I try to proke as many emotions in my students as possible. I try very hard to use logos, but my thought process isn't always logical. I have been known to be a very random person, so at times random things pop out of my mouth. That is the one area I should work on improving. Overall, I try to persuade my students to be as successful as possible.
Each year we have a staff training event where employees from all over the country come together. Within the training, he speaks to us on a number of occasions. When he speaks, he has a way of making a person feel important. Through pathos, he is able to make every employee feel like a family member and motivates us to not only be better teachers, but better people. To me it seems as if he is not the typical boss. It really seems as if he has our own personal success in mind. Since he started out in the same position as us and has experienced many of the same situations as us, we are able to identify with his personal character.
He also does a great job using ethos. As soon as he opens his mouth, it is clear that he is very passionate about his job. He explains the impact that we have on some of our students and evokes many emotions within us. Each year he also sets up an awards ceremony where he honors people who have been with the company for many years. Within those ceremonies many tears are expressed and you can her the true emotion in his voice while speaking about each person.
He also does a great job organizing his thoughts. Everything he says has a logical order and he does not include useless information. He also doesn't get sidetracked easily or carry on about useless information. He only provides the most useful examples and cracks jokes that apply to our situation. Overall I think that Aristotle's classification scheme works great for him.
I don't believe I am quite as persuasive as him, but I still do have my moments. While teaching I try to push my students to a place where they can accomplish reasonable goals. I use ethos by explaining my own experiences with the task they are trying to overcome. This way my students get to know me better. I also have a great passion for what I am doing so I sometimes may use pathos in exess. Since dance commonly expresses emotion, I try to proke as many emotions in my students as possible. I try very hard to use logos, but my thought process isn't always logical. I have been known to be a very random person, so at times random things pop out of my mouth. That is the one area I should work on improving. Overall, I try to persuade my students to be as successful as possible.
Friday, September 5, 2008
The Orator - chapter 1 post # 2
If orators had to be "morally good" then politician would be out of a job. I'm not saying that all politicians are evil or corrupt people, but history has proven that some people will do whatever it takes to gain power. There have been many evil people such as Hitler and Muccolini, who have not been morally good, but have managed to do or say the right things in order to gain power.
On the other hand, some people may question what "morally good" means. At the time, Hitler may have believed that what he was doing was good. In his twisted mind, he was trying to help his country become the "superior race". Most people know that what he did was one of the most horrible things in history, but he was some how able to convince an entire country to agree with his point of view. This proves that orators don't have to be good people, but in order to gain respect and remain a positive image in history, they most likely have to be "morally good".
With the election coming up, I'm realizing how frustrating it is to detect whether or not a person is an morally good, or someone who just wants power. I feel like one person stretches the truth or puts down the other canidate, and in response the other person does the same thing. This makes it difficult for the public to seperate facts from fiction. If a neutral party was able to come in and give us the facts about each canidate, then we would be able to see everyones true colors. In reality, people say what the public wants to hear. It doesn't mean that they have to agree with it or stand by it. Although it's sad, to me this seems to be the truth.
On the other hand, some people may question what "morally good" means. At the time, Hitler may have believed that what he was doing was good. In his twisted mind, he was trying to help his country become the "superior race". Most people know that what he did was one of the most horrible things in history, but he was some how able to convince an entire country to agree with his point of view. This proves that orators don't have to be good people, but in order to gain respect and remain a positive image in history, they most likely have to be "morally good".
With the election coming up, I'm realizing how frustrating it is to detect whether or not a person is an morally good, or someone who just wants power. I feel like one person stretches the truth or puts down the other canidate, and in response the other person does the same thing. This makes it difficult for the public to seperate facts from fiction. If a neutral party was able to come in and give us the facts about each canidate, then we would be able to see everyones true colors. In reality, people say what the public wants to hear. It doesn't mean that they have to agree with it or stand by it. Although it's sad, to me this seems to be the truth.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Interesting concept from chapter 1
I was surprised when I realized that I actually enjoyed the assigned reading! I found this chapter to be very interesting and it made me question my own communication skills. The five canons of rhetoric concept really caught my attention. It really got me thinking about how important things such as arrangement, style and delivery are. In the comm 100w class I took over the summer, our teacher constantly talked about voice. I find it so interesting that, as humans, we are able to alter our personal voice according to our surroundings. For example, if we were speaking to a friend, we may choose different words to use than if we were talking to a teacher. What is even more interesting to me is how different words evoke different emotions within people, and the order of those words can enhance or distroy the message trying to be conveyed. I believe that each area of Cicero's theory holds great importance, and I hope to learn more about appropriate word choice and word arrangment in order to benefit my own relationships.
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