Introduction
Martin Luther King Jr. had many talents, one of his strongest was his ability to convey his message via the written word or oration. In King’s letter from Birmingham jail, he utilized several persuasive methods to gain the reader’s buy-in. Some of the more obvious techniques were two-sided messaging and “ethos (credibility), logos (reason), and pathos (emotion)” (Higgins 2012) to leverage a mutual understanding by the involved parties (p 195). “King’s greatest political pluralism gift was his ability to connect the African American struggle for civil rights to other social-justice movements around the globe” (Whitaker, p 411). This ability to make connections between past and present issues or similar concerns made his audience …show more content…
King did not need to prove his credibility at the time he wrote this letter, he was already well-known. He made sure to let the readers know that he was not un-educated by way of his selection of word choices and phrases among other things. At times, he even leaned towards the use of innuendos of a more violent response, yet stayed dignified and articulate. I am not always known for my restraint, when I feel someone has been treated unfairly personally or professionally. I tend to react more passionately and my frustration can be more apparent than I would prefer. Whereas King easily applied deference (Higgins & Walker, 2012), with his use of a two-sided conversation, to assist in driving home his understanding that he was well aware there are two sides to every story. He respectfully emphasized his points by recounting historical events that mirrored the current status and his predictions for the future if situations did or did not change.
Logos
Martin Luther King often depicted his actions as ‘logical’ when viewed any normal, well adjusted, human in his 1963 letter from Birmingham Jail. As a form of persuasion, King pointed out that his non-violent march, may not have been what many wanted, but he was encouraging a way of protesting that he thought would …show more content…
King’s letter seems to have employed a version of a two-sided argument, which is now known as the ‘Inoculation theory’. This theory uses “a physiological analogy and states that using mild attacking arguments and then countering or refuting them strengthens cognitions, reduces counterarguments, and consequently enhances attitudes” (Eisend, 2007, p 618). He would take a jab at the reasoning or practices of his opponents, then eloquently sweep the insult away or soften the blow by letting them know others throughout history have made the same mistakes and learned from them. This would be a helpful skill for me to master in my communication with my IT partners, when their actions or words make them appear to be more like
Martin Luther King Jr. had many talents, one of his strongest was his ability to convey his message via the written word or oration. In King’s letter from Birmingham jail, he utilized several persuasive methods to gain the reader’s buy-in. Some of the more obvious techniques were two-sided messaging and “ethos (credibility), logos (reason), and pathos (emotion)” (Higgins 2012) to leverage a mutual understanding by the involved parties (p 195). “King’s greatest political pluralism gift was his ability to connect the African American struggle for civil rights to other social-justice movements around the globe” (Whitaker, p 411). This ability to make connections between past and present issues or similar concerns made his audience …show more content…
King did not need to prove his credibility at the time he wrote this letter, he was already well-known. He made sure to let the readers know that he was not un-educated by way of his selection of word choices and phrases among other things. At times, he even leaned towards the use of innuendos of a more violent response, yet stayed dignified and articulate. I am not always known for my restraint, when I feel someone has been treated unfairly personally or professionally. I tend to react more passionately and my frustration can be more apparent than I would prefer. Whereas King easily applied deference (Higgins & Walker, 2012), with his use of a two-sided conversation, to assist in driving home his understanding that he was well aware there are two sides to every story. He respectfully emphasized his points by recounting historical events that mirrored the current status and his predictions for the future if situations did or did not change.
Logos
Martin Luther King often depicted his actions as ‘logical’ when viewed any normal, well adjusted, human in his 1963 letter from Birmingham Jail. As a form of persuasion, King pointed out that his non-violent march, may not have been what many wanted, but he was encouraging a way of protesting that he thought would …show more content…
King’s letter seems to have employed a version of a two-sided argument, which is now known as the ‘Inoculation theory’. This theory uses “a physiological analogy and states that using mild attacking arguments and then countering or refuting them strengthens cognitions, reduces counterarguments, and consequently enhances attitudes” (Eisend, 2007, p 618). He would take a jab at the reasoning or practices of his opponents, then eloquently sweep the insult away or soften the blow by letting them know others throughout history have made the same mistakes and learned from them. This would be a helpful skill for me to master in my communication with my IT partners, when their actions or words make them appear to be more like