#403, #394, #417, #399
#403 He who best knows how to conceal his necessity and desire is the most likely person to find redress.
… the true use of speech is not so much to express our wants, as to conceal them. OLIVER
GOLDSMITH, “On The Use of Language,” The Bee, 20 October 1759
This quote outlines the idea of the ultimate purpose of using rhetoric in speech, when you are able to distract someone from your true intentions you can push your agenda without them knowing. Presenting your point artfully or with an emotional appeal is one of the best ways to influence someone. Your decadent words and literary technique will fascinate the masses and leave them vulnerable to absorbing whatever it is that you really want them to believe. Hitler was a great speech writer and the way that he presented his ideas to the German people made much of his success possible. If he had come out and told them of his wholesale plans to slaughter the Jewish people bluntly, he would have been received much less warmly. Rhetoric in speech enables us to hide our true colors while still gaining the support of the people.
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