Item #2: My Dad's Advice

COMMUNICATION CHANNEL: Speech

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Me

For about a year and a half, I've been going to bed really late and messing up my circadian rhythms. My family has begged me to stop, but my dad has been the most persistent in his pleas. Here's what he usually tells me.

"Keren, you have to stop going to bed so late. It's foolish to do so. You're going to mess up the natural rhythm of your body and that's bad for your brain. You're brain can't function when you haven't slept at the right times. I know because it's happened to me. You're young and you probably don't feel it, but if you develop this habit, it's going to mess you up for the rest of your life. You have to go to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday. Please, please, please don't do it again."

The Greek philosopher Aristotle said that persuasion "consists of artistic and inartistic proofs" (Larson, 2010, p. 20). Artistic proof is elements that the persuader controls and inartistic proof is elements that are not controlled by the persuader (Larson, 2010). "Inartistic proof includes . . . the occasion, the time allotted to the speaker, and the speaker's physical appearance" (Larson, 2010, p. 20). Some examples of artistic proof are "the choice of the evidence, the organization of the persuasion, style of delivery, and language choices" (Larson, 2010, p. 20). My dad's advice can be broken down simply into Aristotle's three types of artistic and inartistic proof: ethos, logos, and pathos.

Ethos is the credibility of the persuader. Ethos is paramount in this case because I place a high value on my dad's opinions and advice. If some random stranger walked up to me in the supermarket and gave me the same advice, I wouldn't listen to him/her the way I listen to my dad. His word holds more weight because I trust him, and because I know that he has more experience than I do.

Logos is the use of rational reasons to appeal to the audience's intellect. In my dad's message to me, logos is found in the way my Dad convinces me that it's not wise to go to sleep late. He uses reasons such as "it will mess up your brain" and "you won't be able to concentrate." He also uses real-life examples like the terrible sleeping habits of some of my family members. These reasons are processed by the logical side of my brain. His words condense into the logical, "Form a regular sleeping pattern. It just makes sense because it makes your life so much better. Why not do it?"

Pathos is an emotional appeal. My dad gives me this advice because he loves me and he wants me to do my best. To do my best, I should get a full night's sleep at the right time and not at two or three in the morning as I've become accustomed to in the past year. He sometimes says that he cannot rest peacefully knowing that I'm awake, and he also says that he doesn't want me to end up like the family members I mentioned above.

These elements make a well-rounded persuasive appeal . . . one that I have yet to be persuaded by.