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Study 24 of 31

Influencing by Persuasion

Where reasoning meets the will to act

Hands-free narration of this study — good for the car.

Synopsis

Across the book's treatment of the modes of influence, persuasion is marked out as the one field closed to exposition, since exposition is 'entirely an intellectual process, with no emotional element,' while persuasion necessarily engages feeling on the way to action. Argumentation, by contrast, is 'the process of producing conviction by means of reasoning,' and the book calls it 'so high, so worthy of respect' among the ways of producing conviction — yet conviction of the mind is not the same as persuasion of the will to act. The book's own summary judgment is decisive: 'when immediate action or persuasion is desired, suggestion is more efficacious than argument.' Reasoning alone can leave a hearer intellectually convinced yet personally unmoved, because arguing a subject necessarily 'arouses contradictory ideas in the mind of the audience,' while persuasion aims past mere assent toward decision and conduct. The book's stated resolution is not to abandon sound argument but to wed it to suggestion, since 'when both are judiciously mixed, the effect is irresistible' — exposition to inform, description and narration to picture and interest, argument to convince the reason, and suggestion working alongside persuasion to move the will into action.

Key points

  • Exposition is closed to persuasion because it is purely intellectual, with no emotional element; persuasion necessarily engages feeling.
  • Argument produces conviction through reasoning and is called 'so high, so worthy of respect,' yet conviction alone does not guarantee action.
  • Arguing a question necessarily arouses contradictory ideas in an audience's mind, which can blunt persuasion toward immediate decision.
  • The book states plainly that when immediate action or persuasion is desired, suggestion is more efficacious than argument alone.
  • The most effective persuasion judiciously mixes sound argument with suggestion, making the combined effect 'irresistible.'

Key texts

  • Acts 26:28
  • 2 Corinthians 5:11
  • Romans 10:14

From the book

Chapter XXIV — Influencing by Persuasion · Open the reader

  • “it is obvious that the field of persuasion is not open to exposition, for exposition is entirely an intellectual process, with no emotional element.”
  • “When immediate action or persuasion is desired, suggestion is more efficacious than argument--when both are judiciously mixed, the effect is irresistible.”

Put it into practice

  • Distinguish, in your own speaking, whether your goal is to inform (exposition), convince (argument), or move to action (persuasion), and prepare accordingly.
  • When action is the goal, do not rely on argument alone; pair sound reasoning with the confidence-building and suggestive methods studied earlier.
  • Watch for contradictory ideas your argument may arouse in hearers, and address them before asking for a decision.
  1. Comprehension

    1. Why, according to the book, is exposition closed to the field of persuasion?

  2. Scripture

    2. Read the book's definition of argumentation. What does it call argument among the means of producing conviction?

  3. Doctrinal Clarity

    3. Why can sound argument still fail to move a hearer to immediate action, per the book's own reasoning?

  4. Comprehension

    4. What does the book state directly about suggestion versus argument when immediate action is desired?

  5. Contrast

    5. Contrast the aim of exposition with the aim of persuasion as the book distinguishes them.

  6. Contrast

    6. Contrast conviction produced by argument with the action sought by persuasion.

  7. Comprehension

    7. How does the book propose resolving the limits of pure argument when persuasion is the goal?

  8. Comprehension

    8. What earlier-studied qualities (confidence, authority, example) would most naturally support persuasion toward action, based on how the book links suggestion to persuasion?

  9. Application

    9. Think of a time you were intellectually convinced of something but did not act. What was missing, in the book's terms?

  10. Application

    10. Plan how you would combine argument and suggestion to move a hearer toward one specific action, as the book recommends.