In Rhetoric (4th century BCE), Aristotle identified the three modes of persuasion, or persuasive appeals, that are: the character of the speaker (ethos), the emotions of the audience (pathos), and the argument itself (logos).
Ethos, pathos, and logos are referred to as artistic means of persuasion and are contrasted with non-artistic means: that is, with hard evidence, such as laws, witnesses, and contracts.
Ethos and decorum
In a speaker, ethos is also a matter of agreeability and meeting the expectations of the audience in terms of appearance, diction, and comportment. The Romans referred to this aspect of ethos as decorum.
Anything that grates with the audience, or sets you apart from it, is a violation of decorum. What this might be varies from audience to audience. For example, an academic audience would expect some jargon, which could be jarring to a general audience. Boastfulness and vulgarity can be a violation of decorum, as can be complexity and subtlety, unfortunately.
In Rhetoric, Aristotle remarks that it is their simplicity that makes the uneducated more effective than the educated before a general audience:
It is this simplicity that makes the uneducated more effective than the educated when addressing popular audiences—makes them, as the poets tell us, “charm the crowd’s ears more finely.” Educated men lay down broad general principles; uneducated men argue from common knowledge and draw obvious conclusions.
When to break decorum
The rhetorician Quintilian (d. c. 100 CE), author of the Institutes of Oratory, points out that what might be decorous in the eyes of an audience might be repugnant under the aspect of eternity, that is, in the eyes of God.
For example, Quintilian cites the trial of Socrates: How would this paragon of virtue be remembered today if, instead of standing up to them and rebuking them, he had sought to meet the expectations of the jurors by shedding tears, resorting to prayers and supplications, and bringing forth his young children?
Today in America, many politicians are grappling with just this problem in addressing their base. It is much easier to be decorous before an audience that is itself decorous.
How to break decorum
So, how to go about telling an audience something that it doesn’t want to hear?
One strategy is to appear to have reached your conclusion reluctantly, driven only by the overwhelming force of the argument. You might even use a technique known as the dubitatio, which involves expressing doubt or uncertainty about what to say.
Another approach is to make your conclusion seem like a concession in the face of an even greater evil, such as inflation or recession.
And the third thing is to make your stance seem in line with the orthodoxy, as when Elon Musk (himself a South African) defended the skilled immigrant visa as “American.”
These techniques work for politicians and public figures, and they will also work for you.
