In reading the text, I learned that arguments that appeal to fear can be considered good or bad depending on how it is written and read. In Chapter 10 of the Epstein text, appeals to emotion are discussed; one of which is an appeal to fear. An appeal to fear, according to the text, is way some advertisements are directed in order to sell a product. When bad, it is described as the replacement of a reasonable concern for the rest and injects our minds with other options. On the other hand, the text gives an example emphasizing a good appeal to emotion. There’s no real easy way to make a positive out of fear, but it’s possible. For example:
Your daughter is playing in the park. You look down at your phone for two seconds and WHAM! You hear her screaming to the top of her lungs in agony. You see a scrape from her wrist to her elbow. What do you do?
I think this was a great example of how to make a positive out of an appeal to fear. I actually never really thought about a Band-Aid commercial as something that could be an appeal to emotion but when you point it out, it makes sense. To any parent that has gone through that situation, or even a nanny or babysitter, it has got to be a terrible feeling when your child is hurt and your main goal is to get them feeling better. That Band-Aid commercial is exactly what will reach out and get those parents attention, and it is also going to get those parents to buy the product.
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