The war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas is about to start. As the sun rose over Kurukshetra, Arjuna saw the silhouettes of the vast army of the Kauravas and their allies, and asked Krishna to take his chariot closer to see them better. And as soon as they got closer, he felt fear. A deep despair took over his heart, as he saw the faces of his cousins, his gurus and others he respected and loved deeply.
Arjuna then asked Krishna, with despair creeping into his voice, “Why should we fight? How can I bring myself to fight Bheeshma and Drona? How can I fight my cousins? How can we find peace if we kill these people who are so dear to us? And what are we fighting for? Land, wealth, respect… None of these things matter when the people we want to share these with are on the other side, waiting to fight.” He sits down, overcome by fear and sorrow, unwilling to string his bow and fight.
Krishna, being the avatar of Vishnu as well as a close friend of Arjuna’s, then consoles him. Krishna tells Arjuna “Death is part of the circle of life. Those who live will grow old and die. You must fight because it is your duty. Carry out your duty, to the best of your ability, and do not worry about the consequences.” In effect,
Krishna has conducted a masterclass for us in the three Aristotelian principles of persuasion:
1. Ethos or authority and credibility
2. Logos or reason and logic
3. Pathos or emotion
Krishna provides Arjuna with logical reasons to fight, saying it is his duty to his brothers, as well as his role in society, and his dharma as a warrior. Krishna is appealing to both logos and pathos here, exhorting Arjuna to carry out his duty by using Arjuna’s duty to his family as an emotional argument that he extends to Arjuna’s duty as a warrior. He argues against Arjuna’s despair, saying that life is transient and what matters is carrying out one’s duty to the best of their ability and nothing else – another argument from logos and pathos, soothing his despair about causing death by giving him logical reasons about the transient nature of life, and providing him with the emotional support he needs to face his crisis. He then uses his authority, both as a friend and as an avatar of Vishnu, to impart power and credibility to his words – a final argument from ethos.
We come across effective uses of these principles in our books, in the news, in ads, at home or in a meeting room. When we try and get everyone to watch the movie we want on movie night, or when we need to pitch a proposal to an executive committee. Persuasion is not just a series of principles to be read in self-help books or business seminars. Using these principles in our daily lives and learning how to understand and implement them better in a variety of situations is what makes us effective.
In our training sessions, we encourage our learners to recognise these skills that are used in daily situations, how to hone them, and how to effectively use these skills in a professional setting. We deliver customised and interactive content, focused on optimising retention of knowledge and of necessary skills. We also prioritize teaching practical and actionable skills that can be used immediately upon concluding the course. If you wish to train or get trained on persuasion skills, Contact us for more information
info@torah.co.in