The Art of Persuasion: Prompt 27

The art of persuasion can be mastered at a very young age. It is a skill that involves convincing someone to agree with your point of view. It comes in handy with advertising and arguments. However, over the years I have discovered the deceitful and harmful side of persuasion that may lead to the downfall of a person and society. Now I am attempting to help others understand the dark side of persuasion.

There are many reason one should not invest time in persuasion. Within this writing I will persuade you to never persuade again for the following three reason:
1.) it stunts creativity
2.) it’s unAmerican
3.) it requires a compromise of moral and ethical beliefs.


Creativity comes from ones ability to see the world through their own eyes. It allows individuals to make something out of nothing and turn something old into something new. Being creative takes work because of the continues elements of persuasion that surround the world that we live in. From advertising to scholarly essays, humans are constantly being exposed to the opinions of others. These opinions then manifest within our thought allowing subconscious alteration of creativity. Persuasion limits creativity which can potentially limit the capabilities of humans.

This stunting of creativity directly correlates with the stunting of free thought. Since the mind has already been limited in its creative exploration, humans have become unable to think for themselves. They are reliant on the thoughts and opinions of others and therefore can no longer think for themselves. Being in America where freedom is the greatest trend, persuasion is actually unAmerican. We should be supporting the freedom of thought, not forcing our society to be dependent on the thoughts of others.

If you have not yet decided that persuasion is wrong, there is one final point. Persuasion is morally and ethically wrong, as the persuader is directly putting forth effort in the manipulation of the persuaded. If one cannot understand that the act of manipulation is wrong they must realize what it feels like to be manipulated. It strips one from their own identity and causes them to conform for insincere reasons. It causes one to do things against their own will, all the while believing it was their choice. By teaching others to persuade, we are teaching others to manipulate which could be (and should be) against their moral code.

Overall, the art of persuasion is limiting the range of creativity, the American belief in freedom, and diminishing ethical responsibility. Clearly persuasion limits humanities ability to grow and people should now understand why persuasion is not the answer.