{"id":14205,"date":"2022-09-26T00:00:15","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T04:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/?p=14205"},"modified":"2022-10-22T14:47:55","modified_gmt":"2022-10-22T18:47:55","slug":"5-reasons-why-writers-should-explore-rhetoric","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/5-reasons-why-writers-should-explore-rhetoric\/","title":{"rendered":"5 reasons why writers should explore rhetoric"},"content":{"rendered":"

I never studied rhetoric at school.<\/h2>\n

There were no doubt a few courses on rhetoric in my university syllabus.<\/h3>\n

But I flipped right past them. <\/strong><\/p>\n

At the time, I considered the topic old-fashioned, boring, and useless.<\/p>\n

Oh, the folly of youth!<\/p>\n

Today, I dearly wish I had taken those courses.<\/p>\n

I’ve come to see rhetoric as a practical skill that all white paper writers need. Here’s why.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with a clear definition<\/h3>\n

In recent years, rhetoric has earned a bad name, mainly because it’s constantly abused by politicians and media blowhards.<\/p>\n

“Moderns maintain a peculiar relationship with rhetoric,” writes Ryan Topping<\/strong> in his wonderful book The Elements of Rhetoric<\/strong><\/em>. “We no longer teach it to our young, nor demand it of our wise.<\/p>\n

“What since ancient Athens was considered an essential skill for a free citizen has now largely been consigned to hucksters and to the tarmacs of used car dealerships.” (pp 91-92)<\/p>\n

So let’s go back to what it’s all about.<\/p>\n

Classical English Rhetoric<\/em><\/u><\/a> by Ward Farnsworth<\/strong> defines rhetoric as “the use of language to persuade or otherwise affect an audience.” (p.vii)<\/p>\n

Words Like Loaded Pistols: Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama<\/em>\u00a0<\/a>by Sam Leith<\/strong> says something very similar. Rhetoric is “the art of persuasion: the attempt of one human being to influence another in words.” (p.1)<\/p>\n

To persuade, to affect, to influence…\u00a0isn’t that what writing B2B\u00a0copy or content is all about?<\/p>\n

So I see writing B2B content as a contemporary, practical application of rhetoric.<\/span><\/p>\n

And here are five reasons why every writer should learn more about rhetoric.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"missing<\/p>\n

Why study rhetoric #1: To fill a gap in your education<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Rhetoric was a cornerstone of every education for at least 1,500 years.<\/p>\n

The field of rhetoric started with the ancient Greeks and developed over the centuries.<\/p>\n

But over the past 200 years or so, rhetoric gradually slipped out of fashion.<\/p>\n

It’s been displaced, Leith says, “by more modern, more scientific-seeming disciplines such as linguistics, psychology, and literary criticism.” (Leith, p.41)<\/p>\n

This has, I believe, contributed to a dumbing-down of our world. To the point where many “debates” devolve into name-calling.<\/p>\n

But of course, the use of rhetoric is still alive and kicking.<\/p>\n

You could say that almost any course in communication, teaching, or marketing draws on rhetoric, whether the teacher realizes it or not.<\/p>\n

Understanding rhetoric fills in this gap in our education.<\/p>\n

Why study rhetoric #<\/strong>2<\/strong>: <\/strong>To be a more critical thinker<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you understand rhetoric, of course, you can tell when others are trying to use it on you.<\/p>\n

This makes you more analytical and more capable of resisting unfounded ideas and empty arguments.<\/p>\n

This is the core of critical thinking, which is supposed to be a goal of our education system.<\/p>\n

Being able to think for yourself will help you in every area of life.<\/p>\n

Not by winning more arguments. That’s not the point.<\/p>\n

The point is to resist attempts at manipulation.<\/p>\n

\"The

The Thinker statute by Rodin<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

And we’re surrounded all day long by attempts to manipulate us, such as:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Advertising of every type
\n\u2022 Marketing in general
\n\u2022 Mass media
\n\u2022 Social media even more so
\n\u2022 Politicians from POTUS down to anyone with a tiny speck of power<\/p>\n

Here’s an interesting result:\u00a0This\u00a0New Yorker<\/em> article describes a murder that six different people confessed to<\/a>!<\/p>\n

All six had been manipulated with self-doubt and false memories by a psychotherapist working for the police.<\/p>\n

If we can’t think for ourselves, we’re doomed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why study rhetoric #<\/strong>3<\/strong>: To <\/strong>be a better consumer, a better citizen, and a better person<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Like most people, I have opinions about things I know nothing about.<\/p>\n

Where do those come from?<\/p>\n

Most likely I heard something that fit one of my cognitive biases. By the way, we have many of these biases: 151 have been identified so far<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned it\u2019s helpful from time to time to re-examine the things I believe. And to question new things before I accept them.<\/p>\n

And knowing enough rhetoric to re-examine and question things will make you a better consumer, a better citizen, and an all-around better person.\u00a0Here’s how…<\/p>\n

\"Strange<\/p>\n

As a consumer<\/strong>, you’ll more likely resist scams, frauds, and shady operators of every description.<\/p>\n

That way, you can make wiser use of your budget, buy better products and services, and more effectively feed and shelter your family.<\/p>\n

As a citizen<\/strong>, you’ll more likely spot liars, schemers, and shady politicians of every description.<\/p>\n

That way, you can make wiser use of your vote, support better policies, and take considered action to further worthy goals.<\/p>\n

As a person<\/strong>, you’ll be better equipped to call out blowhards, charlatans, and conspiracy theorists of every description.<\/p>\n

That way, you can make wiser use of all your resources and be a better partner, parent, or family member.<\/p>\n

If you can see through inflated hyperbole and unsupported claims, perhaps you can help the people around you avoid getting sucked down some rabbit hole.<\/p>\n

You might even save their careers, their health, or their lives.<\/p>\n

Those are big, bold benefits.\u00a0Who wouldn\u2019t want to be a better consumer, citizen, and all-around person?<\/p>\n

Why study rhetoric #<\/strong>4<\/strong>: To<\/strong>\u00a0appreciate the English language<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In my university years, rhetoric was tucked away with some other courses I never considered taking, like Latin and Greek.<\/p>\n

Today I wish I knew a lot more Latin and Greek.<\/p>\n

I would understand many English words and where they come from.<\/p>\n

That would help me decode medical terms and the scientific names of plants and animals.<\/p>\n

That would give me more knowledge about the evolution of our language.<\/p>\n

After all, words are the raw material of any writer. The better we understand them, the more skillfully we can use them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"keyboard<\/p>\n

Why study rhetoric #<\/strong>5<\/strong>: To<\/strong>\u00a0write better white papers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A white paper must build a strong argument.<\/p>\n

The process of building an argument has a name, and that name is rhetoric.<\/p>\n

So every white paper we write is an exercise in applied rhetoric.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019m sure you agree it\u2019s better to control our argument rather than simply jot down the first thing that pops into our minds.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the way I used to write my essays in college, and the first few white papers I did.<\/p>\n

But after I\u2019d written 100+ white papers, I realized these documents would work better if I took charge of the argument.<\/p>\n

To be as persuasive as possible, I want to plan out the argument, control what I say and when, and consciously arrange all the elements.<\/p>\n

Don’t you?<\/p>\n

That led me to Aristotle<\/strong>\u00a0and his three main elements of persuasion: ethos, logos, and pathos.<\/p>\n

As this article describes, I find it very useful to know how to arrange and sequence these elements in a white paper<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\n

So there are five ways in which learning more about rhetoric will help you to:<\/p>\n