rhetoric Quotes

There are, then, these three means of effecting persuasion. The man who is to be in command of them must, it is clear, be able (1) to reason logically, (2) to understand human character and goodness in their various forms,... ...

The arousing of prejudice, pity, anger, and similar emotions has nothing to do with the essential facts, but is merely a personal appeal to the man who is judging the case.

A likely impossibility is always preferable to an unconvincing possibility.

Rhetoric is the counterpart of logic; since both are conversant with subjects of such a nature as it is the business of all to have a certain knowledge of, and which belong to no distinct science. Wherefore all men in... ...

Speeches are like babies-easy to conceive but hard to deliver.

A statement is convincing and believable either because it's obviously true or because it seems proven by other statements that are true.

When preparing a speech, one must consider three things: how to convince people, the language to use, and the proper order of the speech parts.

The fool tells me his reason; the wise man persuades me with my own.

Metaphor is halfway between the unintelligible and the commonplace.

It is not sufficient to know what one ought to say, but one must also know how to say it.