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Chapter 7 Blog Post

In this chapter I recognized the importance of evidence and how that influences the strength or weakness of an argument. It also allows the decision maker to be more influenced depending on the delivery of the evidence given. One of the ways evidence can be displayed is through the use of examples. Specifically the use of personal experience examples, the textbook says "One of the most compelling... most commonly used examples occurs when you remind others of their own experience"(Chapter 7. Pg 104). Most of these examples are mainly used during interpersonal arguments. These examples could still be used in public arguments, because information on a previous issue could be brought up to the decision makers to remind them how that was for them. An example of this kind of evidence in a public platform is commonly used with businesses. For example, when Target in 2013 got attacked with the cyber hacking of customers information. The personal experience of the customer who got money stolen from their account will probably not trust Target anymore. Their argument to not go to Target would be because of hacking of their personal information and the trust lost. This was their experience with the business, so they will most likely not go there anymore. Targets approach to this issue would be by reminding the consumers that they are a great destination place for their needs. They took action by in this manner by making good any of the impacted customers costs. What they did was stay true to their business model, which is to provide good quality products at a cheaper price. This is what the consumers will remember from their experience with Target after the hacking took place. Overall, the reminder to the consumers that Target can be a higher quality spot than a Wal-Mart with the same cheap prices holds as an example to them that it can be trusted again.

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 24, 2018 at 8:39 AM

    Hi Jorge, I was appreciative that you explored the topic of examples in a little more depth, and you gave a great example. I would like to touch upon the uncertainty of how many examples someone needs to make a sufficiently effective argument.

    With Target and other large corporations, it can be easy to share a personal example and win these corporations over in minor circumstances. Let’s say I go to Wendy’s, order a bacon cheeseburger, and then find out there’s no bacon on it. Consequently, I decide to tweet a picture to the official Wendy’s Twitter account of my receipt saying I ordered a bacon cheeseburger next to the cheeseburger somebody forgot to put bacon on. Wendy’s is going to try and make this right (by my standards) because it is a small cost to them because they just have to make a new cheeseburger for me. Now, let’s say we’re working at Wendy’s, and I want full dental and vision benefits. Because the cost of these benefits, Wendy’s no longer is going to forego the argumentative process to simply let me win the argument and get my health benefits. Wendy’s is now going to amass a group of lawyers to argue against me, and my examples of needing vision and dental benefits aren’t going to be sufficient enough to win them over; therefore, making arguments regarding small costs to companies usually isn't going to require as many examples as ones regarding larger costs would.

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