Journal Prompt #1

Everyday life provides a variety of rhetorical scenarios. While many are straight forward and to the point, others contain underlying messages, some intentional, some unintentional. Simply the tone of speaking or writing can convey a side to the original message that reveals a whole different meaning. For example, if I told someone about how I, "Obviously have been to outer space", my intended meaning would be seen as saying that I have never been to outer space. When speaking with others, it is very common to subconsciously use persuasive or suggestive language. By changing the pitch or rhythm we speak with, it is very easy to unknowingly influence another person's decision making process or opinion about something. It also may depend on how we address others when speaking to them. If I am speaking to a group of people I will be much more objective subconsciously knowing that everyone must gain the same meaning of my message, but may not all understand a more complex version. In terms of the conscious persuasive language used in everyday life, things such as personal bias, or preferences tend to be part of our speech. Using buzz words like "best", "amazing", "terrible", all will influence the message because of the forced opinions and exaggeration that have been used. The things we control during speaking, our tone, dynamism, and word choice all intentionally influence the messages we send to others, even if they are not the intended receiver. It is very crucial to be aware of your audience and speak to them appropriately because these skills are very important to learn and utilize throughout life.