At a young age, we are taught to obey our parents and teachers without question, which is quite necessary due to a child or teenager's lack of life experience. However, there comes a time when every man or woman must start shaping his/her own life. This requires the ability to make sound decisions with the information at hand without the influence of an authoritative figure. At our age, we must think for ourselves when making decisions that will resonate years ahead. Otherwise, one day we'll wake up wondering how we got there. Adhering to the status quo is fine, but not questioning it beforehand is moronic.
The title of this post is a quote by Dr. Timothy Leary which I always keep in the back of my mind. That alone will protect our freedom of thought and speech. Sometimes it's easier to follow the mass opinion and do what we're told, but it's always necessary to question the foundations of argument and motivation behind that authority. For the purposes of this post, authority can be thought of as simply the sum of the ideas, messages, or ultimatums which we encounter in our lives through media or any type of communication.
Our thoughts, decisions, and actions are influenced by inescapable external factors such as the media, but I think it's our duty as human beings to decide for ourselves what to believe. The ability to extract truth from a statement made by a politician or in the media, I think, relies heavily on a basic understanding the tools of rhetoric. Without that, emotions may get the better of our reason, and a decision will be made based solely on the ability of the speaker to move an audience. We, day in and day out, are the audience of the media. We are the ones being persuaded, and, as such must be able to guard ourselves against being persuaded to an unjust position. This requires thinking for ourselves, almost as if we are the rhetor and the audience all in one. Additionally, I think it's important to be able to have a rhetorical discourse with friends or whoever. Educated decisions are made more naturally when you can take in other opinions.
In The Rhetorical Situation, Bitzer states, "In the best of all possible worlds, there would be communication perhaps, but no rhetoric - since exigences would not arise...the world presents imperfections to be modified by means of discourse - hence the practical need for rhetorical investigation and discourse." Because the worlds imperfections won't be going away in the near future, neither can rhetoric. Understanding how rhetoric and the tools of persuasion are used is the only way to avoid being on the bad side of that 'modification'. Aristotle said it best in Book 1, Chapter 1: "A man can confer the greatest of benefits by a right use of these [tools of persuasion], and inflict the greatest of injuries by using them wrongly."
I think you have a good point about thinking for yourself. However, how are we supposed to think for ourself in the first place if people don't give us something to think about? I think rhetoric is the basis for growth as a society, allowing us to question what is right and wrong. While we do form our own opinions, they are always influenced by what someone else has told you.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sarah. As we have discussed so far this semester rhetoric inherently is a response or opens the option for response. We need to make decisions for ourselves after analyzing what is presented to us. However, some acceptance of the mainstream opinion in some form or other seems inevitable. Good post.
ReplyDeleteAuthoritative use of rhetoric seems inherent in the principals of acquiring and maintaining a semblance of power. I feel like every King's decree or every President's speech is a useful form of rhetoric that tries to influence the public in one way or another. Questioning this authority and this rhetoric is what we do on a daily basis by discussing issues and stances with friends, family, and classmates. I agree that thinking for ourselves is essential, for without this practice we would surely live in a different world, and not an ideal one without the presence of rhetoric as Bitzer suggests.
ReplyDeleteEverybody here speaks of thinking for yourself, but how often does that happen. How many people actually go against main stream. Alot of people say they do and like to think that they are going against the man, but in reality they are just joining another group that does the thinking for them. To really think for yourself is something that is rare, There are always advertisments and others that are talking to you influencing your ideas so is it ever really thinkg for yourself
ReplyDeleteWhen I say think for yourself I mean question the premises upon which a decision will be made. If this is done properly, then regardless of whether it identifies with common opinion, you have contemplated the situation and understand possible courses of action.
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