Aristotle said that in order to persuade others, logos (logic), pathos (emotion), and ethos (ethics) are needed.
Logos refers to clear proof and logic. Because man is a rational being, there must be a basis for making a reasonable decision. If the insistence, “Eating breakfast is beneficial,” is not supported with good reasons, it is unconvincing.
Pathos refers to the psychological state of the listener. Because people react differently to the same word depending on the mood, you have to know the feelings of the listener while speaking. To the child who got upset after arguing with his friend, you’d better sympathize with him and let him open his mind by saying, “You must be upset to have quarreled with your friend,” rather than saying, “Get along well with your friends.”
Ethos refers to trust and goodwill based on the nature of the person speaking. People tend to follow the words of someone they like and trust. A proverb says, “If your wife is beautiful, you will bow down even before the post of her parents’ house.”
Aristotle regarded ethos as the most important factor among the three. The logical basis can be more convincing when it is built on trust and ethics. After all, persuading someone depends on how you make a favorable impression rather than how fluently you speak.