Rhetoric in Everyday Life

            Rhetoric is something that is very prevalent in our society today and it is something that we can’t avoid.  We are exposed to it every day and use it every day, even if we don’t necessarily mean to. 

Rhetoric in my every day life isn’t something I’ve thought about often or something I’ve paid much attention to, but I’m exposed to it constantly.  The persuasive characteristics of rhetoric, whether I realize it or not, shape a lot of the things in my life, from the clothes I wear to the products I buy and the opinions I form about people and ideas.  When most people think of rhetoric and persuasive tactics, an advertisement is usually the first thing that comes to our minds because it is something that conspicuously tries to persuade us of something - usually to buy a product.  According to CBS news, the average person is exposed to around 5,000 advertisements per day.  I usually watch a lot of shows on TBS and Food Network so a lot of the ones I see are trying to persuade me to buy things such as hair care products or to eat at certain restaurants.  Advertisements are a huge part of how I am exposed to rhetoric because they broadcasted using a bunch of different mediums such as tvs, magazines, posters and billboards.

            However, rhetoric can take on many other forms besides advertisements.  One that a lot of people don’t think about is clothes and how people present themselves. This is one of the main ways that I use rhetoric.  For example, I wear certain clothes, such as American Eagle and Nike, and carry purses made by Coach and Vera Bradley to try to persuade people that I am fashionable.  Social media is another example of how a lot of people, including myself, use rhetoric. I use Twitter and Facebook to communicate my thoughts, ideas and opinions to people, sometimes in a persuasive way to get them to passively agree with me.

            Various other ways people use rhetoric are through political cartoons, debates, and art. We have been exposed to rhetoric since a young age and its various forms most likely have played a part in shaping the opinions, ideas and beliefs that we have today.