Appealing to emotion is an argument that can be made by using emotions. In doing this, making people feel guilt, fear, anger, or any emotion can lead them into believing a conclusion.
One example of this is the appeal of spite. Appeal of spite is an argument made using the idea of revenge. Many people usually use this argument when something bad happens to them from the actions of someone or something else. In return, they will usually use their bad actions as a reason why you should believe in a conclusion.
For example, I own a Yelp account and I wrote a review about a Sanrio store. I love Sanrio, but this certain location is not pleasant. In this review, I gave this certain Sanrio store a very low rating because I was accused of stealing when I wasn't. In addition, their employees are horrible because they always keep a close eye on every shopper as if they are all going to steal something. I understand that the area where this Sanrio is located is pretty ghetto but I see that as no excuse for their actions. For the conclusion of my review, I gave this Sanrio 1 star.
This is an example of appealing of spite. As a Yelp user, I wrote a review about this Sanrio and gave it 1 star because I thought they deserved a low rating. This was appealing to spite because I figured that they deserved a low rating for making me and many others have bad experiences there. My conclusion for my "appealing of spite" argument is that this Sanrio deserves 1 star.
However, is revenge good? It feels good but I personally do not think it is acceptable. I like revenge because it makes me feel better but it is also bitter. I am not against using revenge but I do think it is not necessary to always use revenge. In my case with Sanrio, I find it tolerable because giving them 1 star will not really prevent customers from going there. Over time, I still see people shopping in that certain Sanrio. I am okay with revenge as long as it doesn't cause huge damage. I like revenge but it is bad in general.
- Pink Bean
Pink Bean,
ReplyDeleteI also talked about appeal to spite in my post and also believe that revenge is not acceptable. I understand your argument, and agree with it. I think that in this situation, Sanrio deserved a 1 star rating. I can see how you used the review to seek revenge from them, however, I think that as you very well explained, they deserved that rating.
There are many cases in which revenge is unacceptable. For example, it is not okay for someone to commit a murder because they are seeking revenge. In your case however, as you stated in your post, seeking revenge from them in the way you did it, is not hurting anyone and is therefore acceptable. It is not like you broke into the store or actually stole something to get revenge :)
Keep up the good work!
Elsie-
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I definitely agree with you, especially when it comes to appeal of spite. I’ve encountered myself doing the same thing as your example, wherein when I’m mad I have this driving force to convince the person or make them believe that I am right (even if I do know that my argument has flaws as well). I think if we let our emotions rule our thinking, it kind of disables our ability to think critically because we merely focusing on the emotions, instead of how we back up our arguments to actually make them more plausible. Great post! Keep up the great work :)
Hey Pink Bean! I really liked your example! It really does show how appeal to spite works. From my personal experience, revenge definitely is a strong motivating factor, in many situations. I also have a yelp account and put out some reviews every once in a while. When I have an unpleasant experience somewhere, I'll usually give them a bad rating like you have done. It is sort of a form of revenge, in the form of giving them bad publicity, and possibly having them lose some business. Like you said though, revenge is really a bitter-sweet victory, though it is an effective way to appeal to anyone's emotion.
ReplyDelete