Novice View of a Triangle

     The rhetorical triangle has become an essential tool for myself as I strive to present writings that are well balanced and carry a persuasive amount of authority, appeal and reasoning on a given topic or issue.

     I am non-recovering news junky, especially in regards to political issues and topics that deal with the state of our Nation’s economy. The ethos point of the triangle is always of upmost importance to me when it comes to how much attention or merit I give to a particular article or journal entry. Establishing credibility with your audience is a crucial element in creating value in your position on a topic. Many political pundits bring light to important subjects with substantial information, but dilute their message by taking such a partisan tone in their writings. The days of speakers and writers such as Paul Harvey, that gave great attention to a fair representation of the news, are for the most part a thing of the past. Because of this fact, I believe that the logos point of the rhetorical triangle has taken on additional value.

     When a speaker or writer is known publicly to have a political persuasion in their core values, it is crucial that they take the necessary steps to validate the information in which they are presenting. Although logic and reasoning rarely play a majority role in politics, presenting evidence in the form of data, statistics or quotations, are essential in delivering a clear and valid message. This is equally important in any writing, as points of view and opinions are just simply that without the logic, reasoning or evidence to back them up.

     From the pathos point, the beliefs and values of your audience are not to be ignored if you endeavor to present an argument that will be accepted or at least understood. For instance, regardless of how many facts you had, or who you were, if you gave a speech on the importance of raising taxes on the top one percent of income earners (that already account for 35 to 40 percent of the Nation’s tax revenue), to the local Tea Party, it would most likely fall on deaf ears.

     The best writers and speakers among us have mastered the art of balance between all points of the rhetorical triangle.