Goodness, what is wrong with being irrational? An irrational number is a non-repeating number, like pi or the square root of two. No one has anything against poor pi, do they?
Even old Aristotle advised rhetoriticians to appeal to both reason, and emotion, but emotion first. He believed that, no matter how well-reasoned one's argument, the listener would not be persuaded unless you first appealed to his emotions, and made the listener want to be persuaded in your favor. He advised speakers who were in situations not unlike being in court, on criminal charges, today. He said, if you represent an old man, tell the audience that he is venerable, and has led an exemplary life. If you represent a young man, tell the audience that he is inexperienced, and naive. If you represent a rich man, tell the audience that he is dignified, and respectable. If you represent a poor man, tell the audience that he is humble, and hard-working. This is not appeal to reason, it is appeal to emotion, and Aristotle was all for it. |
