The Importance of Being Persuasive Marikit Tara Alto Uychoco The world we live in is filled with people, products, and movements that aim to persuade individuals and groups toward their own ends. This is seen in television commercials, political speeches, election campaigns, and homilies in church. This is done even in the institutions that are closest to us, such as the school and the family. Everywhere, everyone wants us to do something, whether it is to follow the Ten Commandments, to buy the latest gadget, or to go against an ideology.
The truth is, many of the arguments and positions that we are given can be unreasonable, deceitful, or just plain wrong. Sometimes, we can have the uneasy feeling that we are being forced into believing or doing something that is not right, and many times that feeling would be proven true. It is important to be able to fully articulate the problems and concerns one may have when it comes to grappling with several positions to discover their societal and political significance and to be able to use this skill in every instance of our lives. According to Walter Lipman, we need to hear the opinion of others since "freedom of discussion improves our own opinions" (Malaya and Uychoco 1999:8).
You are at the point in your life where your parents can no longer shelter you from the evils of this world, and the best weapon you have in this competitive and chaotic society is your mind. The ability to appreciate and create sophisticated positions in this world is one that will guide you in every endeavor, whether it is in choosing the right university, profession, and later, marriage partner.
One does not have to be a lawyer or a politician to be able to analyze arguments and positions. These skills regarding argumentation and persuasion have been put to good use by parents, teachers, priests, reporters, writers, and businessmen, in short, anyone who wants to persuade, influence, or control anyone else. Among the Greeks, the art of argumentation, rhetorike, was an essential part of a liberal education.
As citizens of the nation, it is imperative that we are equipped with the skills necessary in understanding, analyzing, and constructing these different positions. This is an academic exercise that, when acquired correctly, should be applicable to your understanding of the world. According to former US President Bill Clinton, "For any country to succeed in the long term, it is imperative that citizens understand the workings of government and also become active participants in it... We must take every opportunity to examine our political life and to debate the grand issues of our time" (atd. in Malaya and Uychoco 1999:13).
What are the instances when you felt you were doing or believing something wrong but was not able to fully explain or say why you felt that way?
