Like any
known society, there must be norms that people operate by on a day-to-day
basis. Politeness - something that can be considered a universal norm, is used
on everyday occasion, but as author Paul Ford points out, can sometimes not be
utilized enough, or in the wrong way. Ford is a Medium Adviser, writer and
programmer based in NYC. Everyday he deals with people, and his experiences
lead him to writing this short essay in which he hopes in helping the reader
understand and perfect their social etiquette.
In the
text, the first thing Ford does is point out the importance of politeness.
Politeness, he says, can help one make new friends, nail a first impression and
increase ones happiness, among many others. Ford definitely appeals to pathos
when writing this part; he emphasizes the importance of kindness towards others
and to not judge others before understanding their full story. The emotional
words that he chooses definitely gets his point across by playing on the
readers feelings and compelling them to be more polite towards others.
In addition
to that, Ford uses his past personal successes to score credibility with the
reader. In the article, me mentions a moment in his life when he's used his
politeness to make new friends, in addition to making others feel included, "I
could tell that she was disappointed to be introduced to this rumpled giant in
an off-brand shirt, but when I told her that her job sounded difficult to me
she brightened and spoke for 30 straight minutes about sapphires and Jessica Simpson".
As Ford illustrates a moment in his life in which politeness applied to the
situation, the reader will be more reliant to trust him because of his
credibility and experience.
Thus, in the essay, Ford utilizes pathos and logos to
appeal to the reader successfully in order to convince them to be better
members of society.
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