Rhetoric and Civic Life | Matt Mouck

I'm not an all-knowing being. I don't know what is right and what is wrong all the time. Sometimes, for instance, I think it's acceptable to put ketchup on macaroni and cheese but then I remember I must be in the wrong based on the disturbed image of my food eating comrades. And sometimes I think the best use of one's time is to take a nap at noon, but apparently this is also "not acceptable." But on more important note, I don't know when it is best to draw the line for tolerance. I know that I am an advocate for tolerance in pretty much every aspect of it in politics, but I don't know if the culture that surrounds political correctness (PC culture) has crossed boundaries and is demanding too much without enough substance to back it up. This is why I have decided to focus on this culture as my paradigm shift, as I have a personal interest in deepening my understanding of a current social situation. Two different perspectives on political culture expr...

I have been alive for 19 years. I am so old. I have certainly seen some things. I have witnessed the rise and fall of Pokemon Go in one summer. The rise and fall (and rise?) of Britney Spears. I have seen the rebirth of Star Wars and I've already graduated high school. Like I said, I've seen a lot. But apparently , a lot has happened before me. My parents like to tell me I they ' ve seen stuff. But then again, I'm sure my grandparents tell them the same thing. And true, I've only been alive    0.00000008274930624490   galactic years .  So I'm willing to consider there may have been a past before me. Let's see what cool stuff happened to old people! The first paradigm shift I identified is that it is now cool to be smart! If my reliance on parental anecdotes and sitcom jokes from the past are accurate (and let's be honest, there's a fair chance they're exaggerated), then being a nerd was social suicide. But today, it seems intelligence and ge...

A GREAT SPEECH IS ONE THAT GRABS YOUR ATTENTION RIGHT AWAY AND DOESN'T LET IT GO. STARTING OFF STRONG IS SURE TO AT LEAST GET ATTENTION, BUT THE AUDIENCE MIGHT BE DISTURBED IF EVERYTHING IS YELLED. So maybe yelling everything isn't the best answer to a great speech. I know one way for sure not to give a great speech, which is to forget your introduction and stare blankly at your audience (shoutout to myself!). So what actually makes a speech good? Of course, we all know the content of the speech is integral to its success. A speech with definitive logos and clear organization will be far more persuasive than one of stretched reasoning and muddled expression. But what clinches a speech, what truly moves the speech to the next level, is the speaker himself. The speaker might have the most well constructed ideas that would resonate with the audience, but if he cannot connect to the audience then everything is in vain. A speaker who captivates the audience with varied inflectio...