Speech Comm

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

101
I think it's time to work on elocution. In order to have a little fun with it, and because we are such a small class, we will be reading Fox in Socks alloud until it rolls off the tongue like a State of the Union address. Open your books...


301
Continuing our discussion of the week, we've addressed sex and violence, but now I want to focus on the more subtle means of persuasion...things a cynical person may call "manipulation." You've all read, or at least opened, your book, so who'd like to chime in first?

Comments

301

[dbiers.livejournal.com]

Persuasion, though related, is nothing like manipulation whatsoever. To persuade someone is to convert him or her to your way of thinking - to convince him or her that your way of doing or viewing things is the proper course. In order to do so, one must often overtly state views and purpose; help the one being persuaded understand why his or her original stance is/was an unwise choice. A successful manipulation never exposes itself, or the manipulator, in this way.

Manipulation is simply lining up the dominoes so that they fall as you wish. The act of manipulation is neither good nor bad, that value lays in the intentions of the manipulator. The word carries negative associations because no one likes the idea that they are being, have been or will be, used as a pawn in someone else's game. Many people, where I'm from, like to believe that they have free-will - that every thing they under take is done through personal choice rather than as part of some greater plan forged and honed by some great, unseen puppet master.

[ooc: Didn't see a place to stick this in the convro and am too tired to look again.]