Aristotle’s Three Pillars of Rhetoric

 In this PowerPoint, I want to draw your attention to two more dimensions. Two dimensions, which, for me, also have a great impact on your power to persuade people and move them to action.

Logos  The first pillar, is exclusively content- driven. Ethos and Pathos, on the contrary, have two dimensions – a content AND a delivery side.

Ethos – Delivery  Your poise as a speaker, the self-confidence you exude, the conviction you transmit – these are first-class credibility boosters for you as a speaker. Strong eye-contact, expressive gestures and body language, and ample vocal variety drive your authority.

Pathos – Delivery  On the content side you can appeal to the emotions of your audience by telling stories. Storytelling, especially when you talk about your own experiences, is a great way to build bridges of sympathy with your audience.

Yet, many speakers fail  on the delivery side of Pathos. Or, expressed in a more constructive way, they could gain much more impact if they respected the Triangle of Coherence. According to the Triangle of Coherence the body language you use, the voice you project and the content you share must be in a state of balance.

LogosEthosPathos

When we read  about the three pillars of rhetoric, we hear a lot about content. Be aware that there are two more dimensions on the delivery side. Practice them, ask for feedback, practice more – your persuasive power will increase. That’s a promise.

Example:  “I was thirteen years old when my parents got divorced,” a seminar participant once revealed during a speech. While he was saying it, he was smiling awkwardly.

The unavoidable happened.  During the evaluation process after his speech one of his fellow seminar attendants expressed her doubts about the coherence of content and facial expression when mentioning the divorce. Frankly, would you smile when you speak about your parents’ divorce letting your life fall into a state of agony at the peak of puberty?

According to Merriam-Webster  coherence is the quality or state of cohering as a) systematic or logical connection or consistency b) integration of diverse elements, relationships, or values.

Coherence of body, voice, and content  directly influences your level of authenticity perceived by the audience. Therefore, the triangle of coherence in public speaking always needs to be in a state of balance.

As a public speaker  you face a multi-dimensional matrix of possible combinations (see below). It takes time, practice and feedback to find that state of balance in any speaking situation.

Content:  Technical, entertaining, emotional (happy, sad), inspirational, …

Body:  Facial expressions, hand and arm gestures, legs and entire body.

Voice:  Loud, soft, fast, slow, high pitch, low pitch, pauses.

 Despite the time, practice and feedback it takes to become a master of coherence, there are common sense situations you can easily manage from the start.

When you speak  about the divorce of your parents your smile will disappear. Instead you will look sad. Your vocal volume goes down. You make pauses, as if you were hesitating to speak. You avoid the sacred eye contact for a second and look at the floor in order to express embarrassment. You speak slowly, thoughtful. Now your triangle of coherence is in balance.

When you speak  about your experience with a hurricane your vocal volume jumps up. Just like your pitch- rate. You speak rapidly. Your vowels stumble across your consonants. You hands and arms flail around. The hurricane is coming. A terrified gaze, panic in your eyes. Now your triangle of coherence is in balance.

When you speak  about the objectives you want to accomplish with your sales team your voice will be loud and determined. You will make dramatic pauses after each motivational statement. You will look them deeply into their eyes with self-confidence and authority. You will clench your fist like Rafael Nadal after making the match point. Now the triangle of coherence is in balance.

You can practice  your coherence in public speaking every day and almost everywhere. In front of mirrors. At home, in hotels, in bathrooms. Anywhere.

Whatever you do –  please make sure you don’t smile when you talk about the divorce of your parents.

To Review:

Aristotle’s three pillars of rhetoric. Logos, Ethos, Pathos – your arguments, your credibility as a speaker, your emotional appeal to the audience.