People always ask ‘If there was a fire, what three items would you save?’ but the truth is, all your experiences and memories will never amount to those three things. In the article “Buy Experiences, Not Things,” James Hamblin uses ethos, logos, and pathos to explore the idea that those who buy experiential things rather than material things are generally happier people. His intended audience is meant to be the younger generation of millenniums. Through his use of these rhetorical devices, he is able to make the argument that buying an experience, such as a vacation or concert, generates more happiness than buying a possession, such as a computer or clothes. His tone about the subject presented is one of concern, as he speaks about the detrimental effects of society focusing on material possessions to bring them happiness rather than focusing on experiences that could end up bringing joy and lasting a lifetime. Hamblin’s use of
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Hamblin focuses on the use of ethos by supporting his claims with evidence from highly esteemed psychologists and psychology professors from Cornell. He uses case studies and quotes from Amit Kumar, a Cornell doctoral candidate, which give credibility to his writing. After quoting Kumar about a case study, he goes into explaining his interpretation of the research provided. For example, Hamblin states “research has also found that people tend to be more generous to others when they 've just thought about an experiential purchase as opposed to a material purchase” (Hamblin, 2014). He then provides a quote from Kumar and goes on to say “Instead of whetting your appetite by imagining various outcomes, Kumar put it, people sort of think, Just give it to me now” (Hamblin, 2014). By incorporating input from a credible source, Hamblin’s argument is being strengthened and his audience trusts what he is saying with the references to
Hamblin focuses on the use of ethos by supporting his claims with evidence from highly esteemed psychologists and psychology professors from Cornell. He uses case studies and quotes from Amit Kumar, a Cornell doctoral candidate, which give credibility to his writing. After quoting Kumar about a case study, he goes into explaining his interpretation of the research provided. For example, Hamblin states “research has also found that people tend to be more generous to others when they 've just thought about an experiential purchase as opposed to a material purchase” (Hamblin, 2014). He then provides a quote from Kumar and goes on to say “Instead of whetting your appetite by imagining various outcomes, Kumar put it, people sort of think, Just give it to me now” (Hamblin, 2014). By incorporating input from a credible source, Hamblin’s argument is being strengthened and his audience trusts what he is saying with the references to