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No amount of grease can help this pathetic wheel. (Source)
We spent the last couple lessons on rhetorical techniques related to ethos, but now it's time to turn to pathos: argument by emotion.
We'll start the lesson with a chapter from Thank You For Arguing in which, to quote the author himself, you'll get a few tips on how to "grease the pathetic wheels."
After that, you'll watch a few examples of one incredibly effective (and pathetic) rhetorical technique that Heinrichs introduces. Every single one of the examples come from TED Talks, so if you're not already familiar with what these are, feel free to read more about them here.
We're guessing you've already at least heard of TED Talks though, because they're seriously all over the internet. They've gotten so popular that they've actually had a pretty significant impact on what public speaking looks like.
Because of that, it's inevitable that we'd get to them eventually. You'll get your first taste of TED in this lesson, but not your last. We'll return to good old Teddy, as we may sometimes call it (because why not) throughout the course.
TELL THEM A STORY
Pathos—or, as you know by now, the technique of making your audience feel a specific emotion—isn't just for the likes of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. You can use it, too.
Okay, your speech probably isn't going to be quite as soul-stirring as the Gettysburg Address or "I Have a Dream." But you can still evoke strong emotions from your audience through pathos.
To get some tips on how, first read Chapter 9: Control the Mood (pages 81-95) of Thank You For Arguing.
Ch 9.pdfStorytelling
Storytelling
We're going to talk a little more about one very important tool that Heinrichs brought up in Chapter 9: storytelling.
Lots of people think the best way to start a speech is by cracking a joke, because it lightens the mood and makes your audience like you. But unless you've got the absolute perfect joke that you absolutely know is funny (and appropriate for your particular audience), don't bother. It's probably just going to make you look cheesy and your audience hate you, which is not an excellent rhetorical technique.
Instead, tell a story. Any story. It can be an event from your childhood that changed the course of your life or a small, seemingly insignificant thing that happened last Wednesday. Doesn't really matter, as long as you know what emotion you want your audience to feel—and pick a story that's perfect for eliciting it.
Heeere's TEDdy
Heeere's TEDdy
Let's go visit our friend TED's website to look at a few examples of storytelling in action during a speech.
Watch the first three minutes of each of the following TED Talks—all of which begin with a story:
Susan Cain's "The power of introverts."
James Veitch's "This is what happens when you reply to spam email."
Brené Brown's "The power of vulnerability."
You probably noticed that all three of the speakers in these TED Talks peppered humor into their stories. This is so much easier and more effective than starting a speech with a corny joke, as many people think they're obliged to do. (In the next lesson, Heinrichs is actually going to give advice on different types of humor to try.)
Of course, getting the audience laughing may not be the best move in every speaking situation. Remember what Heinrichs said in Chapter 9—humor isn't the best emotion to go for if you want to spur your audience to action. If you really want to get your audience worked up enough to do something, try telling a story that'll make the audience angry.
(By "angry" we mean "polite angry" and not "punch-the-guy-next-to-them-and-throw-their-chairs-at-the stage" angry.)
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