Honestly, it blows my mind to think that people actually paid to have their sons essentially learn to deceive people, that people considered being a sophist a career, that someone only found you worthy of "wisdom" if you could pay. The situation is dirty with "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine," or rather, "I'll give you insight on how to argue deceitfully if you pay me." Frustration.
On a larger scale, it blows my mind again to know how much rhetoric is used in our lives. Not only do politicians use it, but all you have to do is turn on QVC or watch some late night paid programming: "If you buy this product from me, it will make your life better." The media uses it to sway us to one view of a news story. To put it bluntly, some religions use rhetoric to gain converts. That thought alone is not only frustrating, but it is downright scary.
How many people every day are led astray through rhetoric? How many people have used rhetoric on you today? How many people have you used rhetoric on today?
P.S. Commented on Treya's.
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