#187: Toulmin Model, Pyrrhic Persuasion & the Game of Absence & Presence
3 Ideas in 2 Minutes on the Truth About Persuasion
I. Toulmin Model
Developed by British philosopher Stephen Toulmin, the Toulmin Model is a method for building strong arguments. It’s modelled after argumentation techniques in the legal system and has six components:
Claim: The main point the argument is trying to make.
Data: The grounds (evidence, facts, reasons) to support the claim.
Warrant: An explanation of why the data support the claim.
Backing: Additional support or justification for the warrant.
Qualifiers: Such as “sometimes’’ or “most likely”; remarks that indicate how strong the claim is.
Rebuttal: The anticipation of counter-arguments or exceptions to the claim so they can be addressed preventively.
While the first three steps are the key components, the last three are optional. They’re useful not only for constructing your own arguments but also for analysing those of your counterparts.
II. Pyrrhic Persuasion
I love those argumentation blueprints. But the older I get, the more I see their usefulness is limited to the courtroom and debate games. When it comes to pyrrhic victories in persuasion, American writer Dale Carnegie makes that point better than I ever could.
Nine times out of ten, an argument ends with each of the contestants more firmly convinced than ever that he is absolutely right.
You can’t win an argument. You can’t because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it. Why? Well, suppose you triumph over the other man and shoot his argument full of holes and prove that he is non compos mentis. Then what? You will feel fine. But what about him? You have made him feel inferior. You have hurt his pride. He will resent your triumph.
“And — a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.”
—Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends & Influence People
III. The Game of Absence & Presence
Logic and reasoning play critical roles in convincing someone. But ultimately, persuasion is a game of emotions. Bestselling author Robert Greene sees it closely related to seduction and frames it as a Game of Absence and Presence.
I maintain that seduction, or exciting people, or persuading them is a game of absence and presence. So if you’re continually present, if you’re so obvious, if you’re always in people’s face, you give them no room to use their imagination, to think: “Oh, Robert might be this very exciting mysterious person.” You’re so in their face, they have no room to imagine. They just see who you are.
If you step back, and you’re not there so often. If instead being seen everyday, you’re seen every other day or every three days, you give space for the imagination to imagine: “Maybe this person is actually quite interesting.” You make them think about you when you’re not there. And as they think about you they start idealising. They start imagine qualities that maybe aren’t there.
But if you’re too absent, if you’re there only once a week for instance, then people might start forgetting about you. So you have to know how to play that game of back and forth, absence and presence.
🐘
Have a great week,
Chris
themindcollection.com