Communication Concept: The Vigorous Style

*3). Pick one concept from the reading assignment this week (Ch.1) that you found interesting or useful and discuss it. Please discuss a concept that has not already been discussed this week so far.

The “Vigorous” style of delivery is one that I found intriguing. It belongs to the “Style” category, one of five parts to the canons of rhetoric (Trenholm, p. 7). This style, largely based on pathos, was meant to evoke an emotional response from the audience. What piqued my interest was how commonly this approach is used today in excess by politicians and other power figures.

Cicero warned of using this approach too often, and he recommended against using it without logos or ethos, or logic and character. Plenty of examples can be found where this occurs; particularly on the US presidential campaign trails. Immense and outlandish promises are passionately made, people shout in exhilaration, wave their candidate’s banners, and chant triumphantly, yet voters are notorious for blindly following politicians just because they are of the same party.

There is a reason why these events are called “rallies”. Rallying initially occurred when a military leader would inspire his soldiers with a moving address with the hope of inciting passion and vigor- things necessary for the battlefield. Yet modern day politicians abuse this tactic by “rallying” their supporters, and draining as much emotion as they can to garnish a support base, while depriving them of badly needed reasons why they should be so excited. I think Cicero was onto something.