Debates

     Over 2000 years ago, Aristotle proposed three basic ways to persuade others to agree with you: ethos (character of the speaker), pathos (emotional appeal), and logos (logical reasoning.)  Recently, journalists have been giving advice on how to win political debates.  We can translate these ideas into improving our own conversations, speeches, and written opinions.
     Huffpost Politics: Say something distinctive.  Define yourself succinctly.  Be presidential.
     The Wall Street Journal: Convey in word, tone, and demeanor - two or three points for viewers to remember - and a little humor helps.  Appearing confident, comfortable, reassuring, and knowledgeable can be every bit as important as saying the right thing.  Viewers are looking for a real person, not a performer.
     Effective debaters need to understand their audience, show concern for them, and gain their trust.  Speakers and writers need to sound sensible and logical when presenting their opinions.  Showing the right amount of emotion and even humor can help promote a point of view.
     When you watch political debates, notice what the candidates say and how they say it.  You can use these techniques when presenting your own ideas.