Ethos Tools

Question 0

Personal goal

Answer 0

What you want from your audience

Question 1

What is Cicero’s outline?

Answer 1

1. Introduction
2. Narration
3. Division
4. Proof
5. Refutation
6. Conclusion

Question 2

Audience goals

Answer 2

Mood: easiest thing to change
Mind: A step up in difficulty from changing the mood
Willingness to act: Hardest, requires an emotional commitment and identification with the action

Question 3

Blame

Answer 3

Covers the past. Aristotle called it a forensic and its chief topics are guilt and innocence.

Question 4

Values

Answer 4

Are argued in the present tense. Demonstrative or tribal rhetorics. Chief topics: praise and blame.

Question 5

Choice

Answer 5

Deals with the future. A deliberative argument, the rhetoric of politics. It mostly deals with whats best for the audience.

Question 6

Ethos

Answer 6

Argument by character. Chief aspects are virtue, practical wisdom, and disinterest.

Question 7

Decorum

Answer 7

Your ability to fit in with the audience’s expectations of a trustworthy leader.

Question 8

Code grooming

Answer 8

Using language unique to the audience

Question 9

Identity strategy

Answer 9

Getting an audience to identify with an action to see the choice as one that helps define them as a group.

Question 10

Irony

Answer 10

Saying one thing to outsiders with a meaning revealed only to your group

Question 11

Virtue or Cause

Answer 11

The appearance of living up to your audience’s values.

Question 12

Bragging

Answer 12

The straightforward, and least effective, way to enhance your virtue.

Question 13

Witness bragging

Answer 13

An endorsement by a third party, the more disinterested the better.

Question 14

Tactical flaw

Answer 14

A defect or mistake, intentionally revealed, that shows your rhetorical value.

Question 15

Switching sides

Answer 15

Appearing to have supported the powers that be all along

Question 16

Eddie Haskell ploy

Answer 16

Throwing your support behind the inevitable to show off your virtue.

Question 17

Logic-free values

Answer 17

Focusing on the individual values-words and commonplaces to bring a group together and get it to identify with you.

Question 18

Identity

Answer 18

Getting people to describe themselves. Living up to that identity.

Question 19

The halo

Answer 19

Sum up the issue in a few words. Suss out the values of your audience. Now, find a representative or piece of the issue that can symbolize those values.

Question 20

Reluctant conclusion

Answer 20

Appearing to have reached your conclusion only because of its overwhelming rightness.

Question 21

Personal sacrifice

Answer 21

Claiming that the choice will help your audience more than it will help you.

Question 22

Dubitatio

Answer 22

Seeming doubtful of your own rhetorical skill

Question 23

Needs test

Answer 23

Do the persuader’s needs match your needs?

Question 24

Comparable experience

Answer 24

Has the persuader actually done what he’s talking about?

Question 25

Dodged question

Answer 25

Ask who benefits from the choice. If you don’t get a straight answer, don’t trust that person’s disinterest.

Question 26

“That depends” filter

Answer 26

Instead of a one-size-fits-all choice, the persuader offers a solution tailored to you.

Question 27

“Sussing” ability

Answer 27

The persuader cuts to the chase of an issue

Question 28

Extremes

Answer 28

How does the persuader describe the opposing argument?

Question 29

Extremist Detector

Answer 29

An extremist will describe a moderate choice as extreme.

Question 30

Virtue Yardstick

Answer 30

Does the persuader find the sweet spot between the extremes of your values?

Question 31

Code inoculation

Answer 31

Be aware of the terms that define the groups you belong to, and watch out when a persuader uses them.

Question 32

Screw up recovery

Answer 32

• Set your goals right after you screw up
• Be first with the news
• Switch immediately to the future
• Avoid belittling the victim
• Don’t apologize, instead express your feelings about not living up to your standards.