What goes into writing a persuasive essay?When writing a persuasive essay, one must be able to come to terms with the other side of the coin. That is, the writer must fully grasp and understand the opposing viewpoint in order to allow for a concession that will strengthen the overall tone and goal of the paper. Click for Free Writer's Block Help E-Zine and Free E-Book A good example of persuasive essay writing comes in the form of speeches. When speeches are written, they are formulated to attract attention and motivate people to reach a higher plateau of comprehension. For example, when preachers recite their sermons, they have worked long and hard to create a piece of writing that is of consequence and value to its listeners. Keep in mind, though, that a persuasive essay does not only have to persuade someone to believe something they do not yet believe. Writing a persuasive essay that is thoughtful and insightful can help to solidify feelings someone already has. For example, a firefighter may believe that any type of fire, big or small, is of equal importance to put out for the sake of saving lives, but hearing their chief recite these same words aloud will strengthen the firefighter's belief in his or her cause. Have you ever listened to someone say something and realized that you were shaking your head in agreement or disagreement? Maybe you have been talking to someone and noticed them doing that to you. In either case, people use body language to show whether or not they are "buying," so to speak, what they are being told, or, in some cases, what they are reading. Whether you agree or disagree with someone's perspective, you are still being persuaded. In either case, chances are you are choosing a side. Therefore, persuasion does not have to mean you have chosen to agree, but possibly that you have chosen to understand and respect another person's opinion. Further, you may have decided to keep your own viewpoint, or see the opposing perspective to what was presented to you. Persuasion is a part of our everyday lives. You may not realize it, but you are constantly being persuaded or persuading others to do things. Use ideas you are already familiar with to help you when writing a persuasive essay. For instance, let's say Mary and Lisa are going to the mall. Mary asks Lisa if they can go "to Forever 21. I just love it there. They have the best clothes and the prices aren't all that bad, either!" However Lisa responds, she will have been persuaded in one way or another. If she says she'll go, Mary said just enough to entice Lisa's agreement. If she says she'd rather not go, Mary may try to push harder. Let's say Lisa sticks to her guns, though. She will have been persuaded against going, possibly because she saw another store and would prefer to go there, or possibly because she has had bad experiences with Forever 21 (not being able to find things she likes, for example). If she says no, something will have persuaded her not to go. It might just be that she just doesn't feel like going in there, it may be the hordes of people lined up at the cash register, or it may be the way Mary described the Forever 21 shopping experience. Whatever the case may be, something will have persuaded Lisa to go against Mary's wish to enter that store. The power of persuasion is ever present in our lives. Decisions must be made all the time. People are constantly trying to persuade others about politics, what types of electronic gadgets they should buy, what movie should win the Best Picture Oscar, and so on. Just think of salespeople. They are (or are at least trying to be) master persuaders. They are conditioned to persuade you to buy something. However, remember that they may persuade you in the opposite way. Their constant insistence or failure to answer hard questions about the items you are purchasing can dissuade you from the persuasion they are thickly laying on you. Writing a persuasive essay can be easy if you understand these ideas. See a persuasive essay example in the form of a letter to get a better idea of how you can formulate your own writing. When penning your own persuasive essay, or when you are merely trying to persuade someone to see your viewpoint, make sure to be kind, respectful, and subtle about what you think. If you are too adamant or aggressive, some people will be dissuaded from continuing to read or hear what you have to say, rather than being persuaded to further understand you.
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