Scholars have discussed the mechanics of persuasion since ancient times. Persuasion encompasses all aspects of culture, with rhetoric being the most important instrument of influence in all spheres of society, from secular negotiations to major national debates. One might say that every form of communication is persuasion. Written or spoken, at home or at work, with friends or clients, people spend a lot of time trying to convince someone of something. In Rhetoric, Aristotle identifies three basic ways of persuading people: ethos, pathos, and logos (Le Cunff). All of these techniques were used in the speech of Chimamanda Adichie, a Nigerian writer, which made her speech utterly convincing.
Ethos is entirely about building credibility; it is about how well people convince their audience that they have the right to speak on the subject. Mentioning real accomplishments, backgrounds, or qualifications are the most obvious ways to build credibility. Apparently, people rely on the comments of a professional designer about design more than they trust the words of a chef about the same subject. Another important aspect of building credibility is creating a sense of mutual identification with one’s audience.
In her TED talk, the Nigerian-born novelist uses these techniques to convince her listeners of the importance of the issue she is speaking about. Chimamanda Adichie begins her presentation by talking about where she was born and how she spent her childhood (Adichie, 00:00:23 – 00:01:17). She mentions that she was born in eastern Nigeria in a university town. Adichie declares her occupation in the first sentence: she is a storyteller (Adichie, 00:00:13 – 00:00:22). The reference to her background is important to make it clear to the audience that her further discussion of racial prejudice is based on her own experience. She is also entitled to discuss how telling only one point of view affects people’s perceptions of members of particular social groups because she is educated to do so. Since Chimamanda Adichie’s audience is predominantly made up of Americans, she provides examples that they will understand. For example, she states that one cannot assume from reading American Psycho that all young Americans were serial killers. Thus, mentioning background and qualifications and creating mutual identification with the audience allow effective persuasion.
Pathos appeals to the audience’s feelings; its goal is to make people feel certain emotions. An effective way to influence is to turn to the audience’s imagination through personal life stories. People are more likely to engage in a speech if they feel that the narrator considers what he or she is talking about important. Showing passion and emotion can greatly influence the audience’s thinking. Chimamanda Adichie’s stories about the poor boy servant or the roommate who thought the writer did not know how to use the kitchen stove are surprising (00:03:13 – 00:04:49). Their typicality and yet sincerity resonate in the souls of the listeners. Since almost all people have fallen victim to stereotypes in one way or another, it is easy for them to associate themselves with the storyteller. Consequently, they begin to believe her words, which is how persuasion occurs.
Logos is how speakers present their arguments in a logical order. They should seem so simple and rational that the audience cannot imagine any other alternative. Ideally, these steps should follow each other extremely naturally. This will lead the audience to reach a logical ending just before the speakers themselves announce the conclusion. Chimamanda Adichie’s presentation is structured so that by gradually telling individual stories, the writer leads her audience to a general conclusion. Thus, the fluidity of the narrative and the vividness of the examples ensure persuasiveness.
Works Cited
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. “The danger of a single story.” YouTube, uploaded by TED, Web.
Le Cunff, Anne-Laure. “Ethos, pathos, logos: how to persuade people.” Ness Labs, Web.