Appealing Emotions

A logical fallacy that is commonly used is appeal to emotion. Appeal to emotion is when someone manipulates their audience's emotions to validate an argument. A great number of advertisements use this logical fallacy when trying to sell their product or trying to persuade people to "think" like them. For example: the link below shows a commercial that triggers sadness and sorrow. It shows a little boy losing his mother in a huge crowd for a couple of minutes. Then it explains how smoking can turn those couple of minutes into eternity.




Another example of someone using this logical fallacy is Donald Trump. During this presidential campaign, Trump has said some very inappropriate things about several people. Although he has been getting the attention he is seeking, he wants more. In an article written by Ashley Barker, she goes on to explain how Trump addresses a very controversial topic. He says that transgenders should be allowed to use whichever bathroom they please. He appeals to the emotions of people who feel strongly about this topic. Just because you say one good thing, doesn't mean it will out weigh the bad things. He sure did use this logical fallacy to his advantage.

Because our culture is so powerful, that commercial and article can bring out several emotions. So using appeal to emotion can become essential to the alterations in our culture that are to come. It's a very easy fallacy to portray. When trying to back up an argument, capture your readers by activating their emotions. That will result in a strong connection. The stronger connection, the more clarity there will be.