The anatomy of persuasion: Ethos, logos, and pathos

Persuasive communication is important because…

It’s the catalyst for change. 

Behind every movement, however large or small, there’s a mindset shift. And behind every mindset shift, there is a thought leader masterfully communicating a vision of what could be. They accomplish this using persuasion.  

Being “persuasive” tends to get a bad rap. I asked a bunch of family and friends what they think about someone having a “persuasive personality.” Some of the words that came up included: pushy, sketchy, salesperson, intrusive… lawyer. (That last one stung, lol.)

Being the passionate advocate for persuasive communication that I am, I couldn’t let it end there. So, I had a conversation. 

I shared my understanding of why persuasion has developed a poor reputation. It’s clear that if someone is persuasive but has bad intentions, they can take advantage of others and possibly do harm.

But having studied communication, it’s prudent to distinguish ‘being persuasive’ from a speaker’s intent. We know this because when persuasion is paired with good intent, the outcome is often revered and applauded. 

Most notably, when a speaker:

• has a desire to create positive change, 
• completes diligent research to ensure topical and data accuracy, and 
• is receptive to growth and ideas from others,  

persuasion can be the exact tool that allows them to clinch the deal and create incredible, memorable results that benefit many. 

For example, persuasive communicators are responsible for creating and progressing:

• innovative technologies
• racial and gender equality
• strong healthcare systems 
• economic balances, and
• international treaties and cooperation.

Great leaders use persuasion to communicate messages that educate, enlighten, and encourage their listeners to evolve and elevate their mindsets. Through this positive influence and guidance, the leader has the opportunity to inspire the desire to act. And it’s the collective ideology and focused action of an audience that creates the positive changes we desire in our world.

As an entrepreneur, these rules don’t change. The size of your community and the focus of your niche don’t affect the fact that people are moved by persuasive speech. No matter the idea, service, product, or movement you are advocating for in your business, the elements of persuasion will help you deliver your message effectively, empathetically, and with greatest impact for you and your vision.

The Three Artistic Proofs

In communication circles, Aristotle is known to be the father of rhetoric. He dissected “persuasion” into three modalities known as “The Three Artistic Proofs.” These modes of persuasion are ethos, logos, and pathos. 

Is all of this sounding Greek to you? That’s probably because it is.

Let’s break it down, shall we?

Ethos

Ethos is the ethical appeal of your message. It refers to your ability as a communicator to prove your credibility or character to an audience. The underlying premise is that a listener will agree with a speaker whom they respect. 

As a speaker or author, how can you enhance the ethos of your message – i.e. create credibility?

1) Showcase your achievements.

Are there any awards, honors, or scholarships you’ve received that may be relevant to your presentation? Have you achieved noteworthy goals for organizations or engaged in philanthropic efforts? 

2) Share titles and designations that you have earned.

If you have a distinguished educational background, share the degrees and certifications you’ve earned. More of an experiential learner? No problem. Share the positions or job titles you acquired while working for firms and companies.

3) Highlight the experience you have in the field.

This is your opportunity to share vocational training, specific job experiences, or your portfolio of work if self-taught.

Logos

Logos is your appeal to logic; it’s when you persuade by presenting a well-reasoned argument. A speaker focusing on logos will use data, facts, evidence, universal truths, and their personal analyses to challenge the audience. 

How do you, as a communicator, bolster your point of view with logos?

Include the following in your speech (or writing):

• Data and/or facts;
• Logical reasoning;
• Statistics;
• Historical or literary analogies; and
• Citation to authorities on a given subject.

Pathos

Pathos is your emotional appeal to your listeners. By utilizing narratives, you can evoke sympathy, and potentially empathy, in a listener. These narratives allow your listener to connect with you, to trust you, and to develop the comfort to care about the position you’re advocating for as a speaker. 

Your goal is to take your audience on a journey where you select the destination and serve as tour guide. 

How do you use narrative to breakdown the wall between you and your audience?

Make use of the following in your speech and/or writing:

• Personal stories, insights, and/or observations
• Anecdotes
• Analogy/metaphor
• Fiction with a moral (e.g. Little Red Riding Hood = stranger danger)

Now, here’s the biggest secret…

You’re not looking for an even balance of ethos, logos, and pathos in your content. 

Surprised?

Of these three modes of persuasion, the most important for persuasive communicators is pathos.

Though a well-balanced speech or writing will naturally include elements of ethos, logos, and pathos, it’s best practice to skew heavy on pathos when you’re creating persuasive content. 

In fact, introducing your speech or other content with a pathos-rich segment will help you to establish your credibility and set up logical reasoning for your position more easily and effectively. (Think of pathos as your persuasion springboard.)

Why is pathos so important for persuasive communication?

Connection.

Elements of pathos naturally lend themselves to be rich in passion. And exhibiting true passion is the key link to creating connection between a speaker and listener. This feeling of connection is what causes a listener to adopt your message and fuels the desire to take action.

In reviewing the most persuasive speeches in our history, you will undoubtedly find that speakers incorporated 60% or more of their time to an emotional appeal to the audience. 

Here are a just a few you may like to check out:

1. “I have a dream” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 
2. “When they go low, we go high” – Michelle Obama 
3. “Fulfillment in Afghanistan” – Simon Sinek

You may have noticed…

Ethos, logos, and pathos are imbibed with two rhetorical elements that are often overlooked. This is concerning considering how significantly they contribute to the successof a persuasive proposition. These elements are telos and kairos. 

Telos refers to the inherent purpose, attitude, or intention behind a speaker’s message. According to Aristotle, all arguments, living beings, and objects have a function or purpose. Having clear telos keeps a speaker focused on the end result of their goal-directed process when sharing their message, no matter the format or platform (e.g., speech, social media, marketing copy, etc.). 

Put simply, telos is your why.

The other rhetorical element constantly at play is kairos – in English, timing. You can craft an exceptional message, rich with emotional appeal and supported by credibility and logical reasoning. You can deliver this message passionately, focused on your end goal or purpose. But if you’re timing is off, you’re out of luck. 

Kairos refers to the timeliness of a message. When communicating persuasively, it is important to think about the particular setting, time, and place where and idea will be shared. This should be done at both macro and micro levels. 

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to determine if the kairos of your message is on point:

• Is the time of day I’m sharing this message the most beneficial when considering audience attention and willingness to engage? (i.e., Are people likely to pay attention right now?)
• Is there anything happening in the news that will diminish my credibility or relatability if I choose to share this message now?
• Is the platform, presentation style, and/or audience I have chosen appropriate for this message?
• Is the idea or solution I’m presenting valuable for my audience at this time, or did I wait too long? (i.e. Have people moved on and/or found a different solution?)
• Am I mentally present to deliver this message in this moment?

Recap

These are the five elements of every persuasive argument: ethos, logos, pathos, telos, and kairos. Learning how these modalities interplay will make you a stronger, more persuasive communicator as you continue your entrepreneurial journey. 

Exercise

Are you interested in taking the next step? Here is an exercise that will allow you to put the knowledge of the Anatomy of Persuasion into practice. 

Start by watching any TED Talk. As you watch, take notes identifying the different persuasive elements you notice the speaker using. After the talk is over, journal about how effectively each of these elements contributed to your connection with, respect for, and possible agreement with the speaker. Choose your favorite elements and use them to create your own mini speech about your business and what you do!