Make 'Em Laugh

So if the difference between convincing and persuading lies in the Pathos, I think that one of the strongest tools someone can use to persuade is having a sense of humor about the topic.

In class we talked about those commercials with the sick children in Africa, or the polar bears running out of glaciers and food because of the scourge of man. What seemed to be the general consensus is that these types of Pathos have become ineffective. It certainly isn’t that we don’t care about the children or the polar bears, we have just found a way to guard ourselves from feeling too guilty about it. That is, if we haven’t already changed the channel.

This is why humor is one of the most important tools I think should be used to persuade people to join a cause. Laughter relaxes people and makes them comfortable. When a person is relaxed and comfortable, he or she is more likely to have a positive response to a call to action.

For example it’s gotten to the point where I’ve seen enough homeless people, or people down on their luck, that I just cross the street. One day, a few years ago, I was walking and looked down to see a man with a sign that read “I won’t lie to you, I’m probably going to spend your money on booze”. It startled a laugh out of me. Maybe the sign was being honest, I don’t know. I like to think that it was just a persuasive tactic. Either way, I liked the man, and I gave him some money. He made me laugh à I liked him à I gave him money, which is what he wanted in the first place.

I think people are just afraid to joke about the important things, because they don’t want to make light of anything tragic. But in my eyes that’s the key to getting support. No one likes to feel guilty, and if you see a commercial trying to shame you into donating money, you’re not going to respond. Plain and simple. But if you see a commercial that makes you laugh and makes you think, you’re one step closer to your purse or wallet to get out your credit card and make a donation.