Emotions play a huge part in human beings every day lives but where is the line drawn with being too emotional in civil discourse? Obviously one must use some emotion to get their point across. Otherwise, the speaker would lose their audiences' interest and would have no connection with them. There definitely is a point when emotions are used too much, therefore throwing the balance of logos, ethos, and pathos off. Emotion needs to play a role in civil discourse however this role needs to be on the same level as the other two aspects.
On the website The Atlantic, I read an article about the offensive banners hung by a frat at Old Dominion. Half of the commenters geared towards the idea that "frat guys being stupid wasn't news worthy" while the other half were outraged by these banners. Every person has a different opinion on subject matters and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However the line of using too much emotion in civil discourse is crossed when others begin name calling or bluntly saying that anothers opinion is "wrong."
Reading through the comments, when someone would disagree with another person they would write things such as, "you're stupid" or "anyone who thinks this isn't news is a low life." These comments lose peoples respect and are insulting. This is the perfect way to lose an audience or followers. By letting emotions get to you, it is easy to write inappropriate things. Instead of stating these rude comments, one should use statistics or other background information to support their argument. Therefore making their point come across more professional and credible.
By using ethos, pathos, and logos in a balanced manner, ones argument instantly becomes stronger. This allows the use of emotion, credibility, and it appeals to the audiences reason and logic. In order to have a successful opinion that others will agree with and respect, one must include a few of the following:
-personal stories
-respectful word choice
-visible arrangements
-humor
-images
-statistics
-historical records
-experts opinions
-clear transitions
If one balances all of these aspects, arguments are ultimately better, more interesting, and not too emotional.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
First Day of College!
The first day of college was extremely thrilling and nerve racking. As I walked into my first English class, I could feel the nerves of every student vibrating around the classroom. We began by simply reviewing the course syllabus. Then we were instructed to write five adjectives to describe to another for the situations of being a potential roommate, date, or employee. My adjectives are as follows:
Date:
-attractive
-outgoing
-caring
-compassionate
-loyal
Roommate:
-clean
-early bird
-clean
-social
-loud
Employee:
-team player
-hardworking
-organized
-leader
-determined
Our group was easily able to differentiate between these three rhetorical situations because every situation was different. Someone searching for a roommate would most likely not be looking for one that describes themselves as "determined" or "compassionate". One must put into perspective how to use language to their benefit in certain situations. A few weeks ago, I was attempting to persuade my sister to do her summer reading so she could go out with me. My sister was the audience and my mother told her she could not go out unless she had read fifty pages of her book. I made a plan for later that evening, telling her if she finished her reading, our friends would be going to the pool and then out to get ice cream. This strategy was very effective because my sister didn't want to miss out on all the fun, so instead of sitting around wasting time watching Netflix all day, she read fifty pages and was able to come along. It is very easy to use language to work to your advantage in situations.
Date:
-attractive
-outgoing
-caring
-compassionate
-loyal
Roommate:
-clean
-early bird
-clean
-social
-loud
Employee:
-team player
-hardworking
-organized
-leader
-determined
Our group was easily able to differentiate between these three rhetorical situations because every situation was different. Someone searching for a roommate would most likely not be looking for one that describes themselves as "determined" or "compassionate". One must put into perspective how to use language to their benefit in certain situations. A few weeks ago, I was attempting to persuade my sister to do her summer reading so she could go out with me. My sister was the audience and my mother told her she could not go out unless she had read fifty pages of her book. I made a plan for later that evening, telling her if she finished her reading, our friends would be going to the pool and then out to get ice cream. This strategy was very effective because my sister didn't want to miss out on all the fun, so instead of sitting around wasting time watching Netflix all day, she read fifty pages and was able to come along. It is very easy to use language to work to your advantage in situations.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Video Games & Youth Violence
Citation: http://videogames.procon.org
Website Name: procon.org
This article explains the controversies of playing violent video games vs the effects of youth violence it may have on boys ages 12-18. Some believe violent video games help boys stay out of trouble while others believe it encourages them to act out in a brutal manner. I am interested in this topic because in the past I volunteered at a school with children who were abused or had a poor home life. After seeing how those children reacted to certain situations (which were mostly in a violent manner), I am interested in learning about how others believe it is appropriate to react to certain situations due to something they observed in a video game rather than by morals they grew up with in their home.
Belligerent Banners
Imagine this: you're eighteen years old, fresh out of high school, finishing a long road trip to your new home. The excitement and nervous jitters of beginning college are consuming your body and brain. You're about to meet the people that will become your best friends for life. You're about to finally have the opportunity to study what you're interested in. You're about to come out of your shell and experience life long journeys. Then, as you drive down the street, a fraternity catches your eye with banners hung on the house saying, "Rowdy and Fun, Hope Your Baby Girl Is Ready for a Good Time", "Freshman Daughter Drop Off", and "Go Ahead and Drop Mom Off Too". What would your reaction be? Would you laugh at the seemingly inappropriate joke? Would you be offended? Or, would you simply just be scared? Everyone has a different reaction.
The comments range from women and men being infuriated by these banners to others stating that "it doesn't matter and no one cares" or even people stating simply that "frat guys being stupid isn't news." One commenter known as "Blogvader" wrote, "This is the most overblown story I've seen in a while." Another blogger responded to this comment stating, "There is nothing 'overblown' about this story for the reasons outlined by the author in this piece. Those banners were offensive and an insult to women. How can you not understand that?"
Citations:
LaFrance, Adrienne. "About Those Banners at Old Dominion." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 26 Aug. 2015. Web. 27 Aug. 2015.
Sigma Nu Fraternity Suspends ODU Chapter after Display of Sexually Suggestive Banners." WTVRcom. N.p., 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 27 Aug. 2015.
Adrienne Lafrance wrote an article for the website known as "The Atlantic" entitled, About Those Banners at Old Dominion describing the incident and the publics reaction to the "offensive banners." She then discusses how many react
ions were laid back, one person even stating "it's just boys being boys." However, the most interesting aspect of the whole incident were the comments left on the bottom of this article.
ions were laid back, one person even stating "it's just boys being boys." However, the most interesting aspect of the whole incident were the comments left on the bottom of this article.
The people who are commenting on this article are most likely men and women between the ages 18 and 30, possibly some a few older, due to the fact that the fraternity was targeting young college students. The people writing the comments are appealing to college boards by trying to prevent these events and help eliminate the rape culture. The other half are appealing to those who make incidents like this headline news, attempting to prove that this episode is not shocking or newsworthy. The controversy in these comments are very apparent as well. People are claiming that this event "is no big deal" and that it is just "frat guys being stupid" however this is a huge issue because the fraternity is encouraging the rape culture. When people are expressing that these banners are not "newsworthy" they're allowing others to believe that encouraging tasteless behavior and rape culture is okay, which it is not.
There is clearly a distinct line between the fears presented in the comments. Half of the commenters fear lesser events which are not relevant to society as a whole are going to become news rather than events that are important. The other half of the commenters are worried about themselves or others actually being abused, taken advantage of, or just simply scared to attend college. From my personal experiences and beliefs, those who believe these banners were wrong came across more reasonable. Rape is not a "funny" topic, it is not something that should be made into a joke, therefore I see this as a very serious issue. Being a freshman in college for only a week now, I have already noticed a significant difference in the way males approach women and how they speak to others. Sometimes this can be very terrifying and college should not be a place were one feels scared or unsafe. Overall, the comments on the article were extremely varied and everyone is simply going to have a different opinion on the issue.
Citations:
LaFrance, Adrienne. "About Those Banners at Old Dominion." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 26 Aug. 2015. Web. 27 Aug. 2015.
Sigma Nu Fraternity Suspends ODU Chapter after Display of Sexually Suggestive Banners." WTVRcom. N.p., 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 27 Aug. 2015.
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