What Aristotle and Joshua Bell can teach us about persuasion - Conor Neill

關於說服，亞里斯多德及約夏‧貝爾可以教我們些什麼 - Conor Neill

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

譯者: Jephian Lin 審譯者: Regina Chu

9th of January, 2007

2007年的一月九日，

Joshua Bell, one of the greatest violinist in the world,

約夏‧貝爾，一位堪稱世界上最偉大的小提琴家，

played to a packed audience

在可容納千人、

at Boston's stately Symphony Hall of 1,000 people

宏偉的波士頓音樂廳，對著爆滿的聽眾演奏，

where most seats went for more than $100.

且每個位子票價都高過一百元美金。

He was used to full, sell-out shows.

他很習慣於座無虛席、票售一空的演出。

He was at the peak of his abilities and fame.

那是他能力與名聲的高峰。

Three days later,

三天之後，

Joshua Bell played to an audience of

約夏‧貝爾在平凡群眾中演奏！

nobody!

約夏‧貝爾在平凡群眾中演奏！

Well, maybe six people paused for a moment,

好吧，也許有六個人停下來注意了一下，

and one child stopped for a while looking,

還有一個小孩停下來認真注視著，

as if he understood that something special was happening.

彷彿他了解這是一件不尋常的事。

Joshua said of the experience,

約夏談到這段經歷：

"It was a strange feeling that people were actually ignoring me."

「這是種奇怪的感覺，人們完全忽略我了。」

Joshua Bell was playing violin in a subway station.

約夏‧貝爾是在一個地下鐵車站 演奏小提琴。

"At a music hall, I'll get upset if someone coughs

「在音樂廳，如果有人咳嗽，或是有人手機響了，我會很生氣，

or if someone's cell phone goes off,

「在音樂廳，如果有人咳嗽，或是有人手機響了，我會很生氣，

but here my expectations quickly diminished.

但在這兒我的期待很快地降低了。

I was oddly grateful when somebody threw in a dollar."

當有人丟入一塊錢，我就異常地感動。」

What changed?

是什麼變了？

Same music,

同樣的音樂、

on the same violin,

同樣的小提琴，

played with the same passion

用同樣的熱情

and by the same man.

並由同一個人演奏。

Why did people listen and then not listen?

為什麼人們願意聽？又為什麼不屑一顧？

Aristotle would be able to explain.

亞里斯多德可以提出解釋。

What does it take to persuade people?

究竟是什麼才可以說服人們？

2,300 years ago,

2300年前，

Aristotle wrote the single most important work on persuasion,

亞里斯多德寫下了關於說服 最舉足輕重的一篇著作

<i>Rhetoric</i>,

《修辭學》，

the 3 means of persuasion:

其中描述了說服別人的三種方法：

logos,

喻理、

ethos,

喻德、

and pathos.

以及喻情。

Logos is that the idea makes sense from the audience's point of view.

喻理是指，這個想法可以讓聽眾 用他們的觀點去理解。

This is usually different from the speaker's point of view,

他們的觀點通常與演說者的觀點不同，

so work needs to be done

所以演說內容必須和世界觀點相結合，

to make the idea relevant to the world view,

所以演說內容必須和世界觀點相結合，

the pains and the challenges of the listeners.

也包含了聽眾的自身面臨的痛楚及挑戰。

A good argument is like good music.

好的說詞就如同好的音樂。

Good music follows some rules of composition;

好的音樂遵循著某些作曲的規則；

good arguments follow some rules of logic.

而好的說詞則遵循著某些邏輯的規則。

It makes sense to the audience.

這樣才能讓聽眾理解。

Ethos is reputation, what are you known for;

喻德是指：名聲──大家有多認識你；

credibility, do you look and act professional;

專業度──你的行為與外表看起來是否專業；

trustworthy, are your motives clear,

以及可信度──你的動機是否單純，

do you show the listener that you care about them as much as yourself?

你是否讓聽眾感到你在乎他們 跟在乎你自己一樣？

Authority is confidence plus a concise message,

權威是自信再加簡潔的句子、 以及一個簡單且強烈的語氣。

a clear, strong voice.

權威是自信再加簡潔的句子、 以及一個簡單且強烈的語氣。

Pathos is the emotional connection.

喻情是指情感的連結。

Stories are an effective human tool for creating an emotional connection.

故事是人們建立情感連結上 一種有效的工具。

There are moments where an audience is not ready

有時候聽眾尚未準備好

to hear the message.

來聽你想傳遞的訊息。

A speaker must create the right emotional environment for their message.

演說者為想表達的訊息 必須建立適當的情境。

What changed?

是什麼變了？

Why did people travel for miles to hear him play one night,

為什麼人們不遠千里來聽約夏這一晚的演奏？

and not even pause for moment to listen the next morning?

而又為什麼隔一天後 連一刻也不願意停下來聆聽？

The answer is that ethos and pathos were missing.

原因是喻德和喻情消失了。

Ethos

喻德

The fact that the great concert hall hosts Joshua's concert

一個雄偉的音樂廳舉行了約夏的音樂會，

transfers its trust to Joshua.

這傳遞了對約夏的信任感。

We trust the institution, we now trust Joshua.

我們相信音樂廳，所以我們相信約夏。

The subway does not have our trust for musical talent,

我們並不相信地下鐵裡能夠有傑出的音樂，

we do not expect to find great art,

我們也不期待遇間極佳的藝術、

great music,

or great ideas,

極佳的音樂、

或是極佳的想法，

so it confers no trust to Joshua.

所以地下鐵並沒有為約夏傳遞信任感。

Pathos

喻情

The concert hall is designed for an emotional bond

音樂廳是特別設計的，

between an audience and an artist,

好讓聽眾及演出者的情感得以聯結，

a subway platform is not.

但地下鐵並不是。

The hustle and movement and stress is just not conducive

匆忙、移動、及壓力對於

to the emotional connection needed between performer and listener.

雙方的情感連結是沒有助益的。

Logos,

喻理、

ethos,

喻德、

pathos,

喻情，

the idea is nothing without the rest.

除此之外沒有別的了。

This is what Joshua Bell learned

這是約夏‧貝爾在一個2007寒冷的一月裡 所學到的。

on that cold, January day in 2007.

這是約夏‧貝爾在一個2007寒冷的一月裡 所學到的。

If you have a great idea,

如果你有一個極佳的想法，

how do you build credibility and emotional connection?

你該如何建立專業度及情度連結呢？