Summary

The article advises writers to enhance their persuasiveness by incorporating Aristotle's rhetorical appeals—pathos, logos, and ethos—into their writing.

Abstract

The article emphasizes the importance of using the three rhetorical appeals—pathos, logos, and ethos—to improve the effectiveness of writing. It suggests that pathos, an appeal to emotions, can quickly capture an audience's attention and prompt action, but it should be balanced with logos, which provides logical evidence and facts, and ethos, which establishes the writer's credibility and trustworthiness. The article also cautions against over-reliance on emotional appeal to avoid manipulation and suggests that a combination of these elements can make writing more persuasive and engaging.

Opinions

The author believes that a mix of emotional, logical, and ethical appeals is crucial for persuasive writing.
Overuse of pathos can lead to emotional manipulation, which should be avoided.
Logos is necessary to substantiate claims with evidence, but relying solely on it can make writing seem dry or overly academic.
Ethos can be established not only through credentials and experience but also by demonstrating genuine care for the audience and citing reputable sources.
The article posits that these rhetorical strategies are inherent in everyday communication and have been used for centuries to influence audiences.
Writers are encouraged to self-evaluate their work by considering how well they've incorporated pathos, logos, and ethos to enhance their persuasiveness.

Want to Improve Your Writing? Include these 3 Things in Every Article You Write.

How to use the three rhetorical appeals to make your writing more effective.

Are you writing a blog post, a Medium article, or some other kind of content online, and wondering how to make your writing more persuasive?

Why not use the three rhetorical appeals?

Thousands of years ago, Aristotle taught us how to appeal to an audience. He taught that a speaker’s (or writer’s) ability to persuade an audience is based on how well they can appeal to that audience in three different areas: pathos, logos, and ethos.

Let’s take a look at each of these elements in more detail, and explore how you can include them in your own work to make your writing more persuasive.

Pathos: An appeal to emotions

Are you trying to sell your own course, or get your readers to sign up for your email list? Maybe you want your readers to take action in some way.

Then you might consider an appeal to pathos.

Pathos, appealing to emotion, is the fastest way to get your audience’s attention. Pulling on your audience’s heartstrings, inspiring them, making them upset, or appealing to their fear are just a few of the emotions that make readers want to get up and take action.

Be careful not to go overboard though. Too much pathos can make your audience feel emotionally manipulated. That’s why it’s best to pair pathos with the two other appeals: logos and ethos.

Questions to ask yourself when appealing to pathos:

How do you want your audience to feel when reading your piece?
Do you create an emotional connection with your audience through your writing?
Do your words, examples, or visuals evoke feelings?

Logos: An appeal to logic

It’s usually not enough to simply appeal to your readers’ emotions. Your audience may question the validity of your claims, and they’ll want to know that your claims are supported by evidence or facts. You can do this by quoting other experts, citing data, or using another form of logic (analogies are quite fun!)

Some writers only rely on logos in their writing, and it comes off sounding dry or too academic. Most online writing today works best when it’s casual, personal, and fun, and that’s why it’s best to balance logos with the other types of appeals.

Questions to ask yourself when appealing to logos:

Does your message make sense?
Is your message based on facts, evidence, and data?
Is your writing clear, structured, and easy to understand?

Ethos: An appeal to credibility and trustworthiness

Ethos is what you do when you prove to your readers that you are a trustworthy source of information. Some writers use their credentials or experience to illustrate why their readers should listen to what they say.

If you don’t have any fancy titles and not a lot of experience, that’s okay. Ethos is really about whether or not your audience perceives you to be credible, and you can do that in many different ways.

For instance, if you’re not an expert yourself, you might cite other experts or research. You can also show that you have your readers’ best interests in mind and that you truly care about your audience. And of course, by appealing to pathos and logos, you’ll also be boosting your own credibility as well.

Questions to ask yourself when appealing to ethos:

Does your audience respect you?
Does your audience believe that you are generally trustworthy?
Does your audience believe you are an authority on this topic?

Conclusion

It’s likely that you’ve been appealing to pathos, logos, and ethos in your writing without even trying. These appeals are woven into the fabric of our everyday life, and they’ve been used for thousands of years!

You can use pathos, logos, and ethos to check the effectiveness of your own writing. If you feel like a piece of your writing is not very persuasive, perhaps you can look for ways to include one or more of these appeals.

You can also use these appeals to notice all the messaging around you. How are others appealing to pathos, logos, and ethos to get your attention?