AP Language and Composition 1: I am grateful for this guy's argument!

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

I am grateful for this guy's argument!

Well,
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for all of you. Thank you for trusting me, for working hard, for praying with me and for being young and energetic and curious! Here is a great, great article about being grateful. What is the author's argument? And HOW does he convince us that he is right? This is another way of saying that you must do a rhetorical analysis of this article. It really is fantastic. In the comments, please post under at least 5 classmates names what you appreciate about him or her. And comment on two of your classmates rhetorical analysis as well!

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/opinion/sunday/choose-to-be-grateful-it-will-make-you-happier.html

I love you all very much and will be thanking God for each and every one of you by name. I am excited to spend the advent season with all of you upon our return!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Messineo

149 comments:

JacobNovember 23, 2018 at 3:53 PM
The key to a happy holiday season is being grateful, according to Carson Ellis. Carson married a girl from Barcelona and a few months after their wedding he gave his wife’s family a traditional thanksgiving meal. Throughout the planning and preparation he was asked many questions, one being, “Should you celebrate this holiday even if you are not thankful?” This question stuck with Mr. Ellis and drove him to find out what being thankful actually meant. Throughout his article Carson made many points filled with the emotions of being thankful, and then he supported these claims with different studies.
Mr. Ellis began his argument by stating that gratitude may not always be easy to achieve. He showcased typical holiday issues like “a drunk uncle who always needs to share his political views.” His following paragraph supported this topic through a 2014 journal article that stated that a gene can determine a persons level of gratitude. He made it seem that being grateful can come natural to some. Even though for some it may come easier he wants to ensure his audience that everyone can be thankful.
Carson continued his argument by ensuring the reader that even without the “gratitude gene” people can still be grateful. He continued his theme of supporting his view backed by emotions with logic. He used another study that shows how being grateful can effect someone’s life. This ensures the reader that everyone is capable of being thankful and that a simple act of gratitude can change the way a person acts.
Carson sustained his theme of a view with an emotional attachment supported by logic throughout the rest of his piece. The piece has the ability to drive the reader to become more grateful, not only for the holidays but all the time. The support of many different studies shows how a simple “thank you” can make all the difference in a good holiday or a bad one.
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AnonymousNovember 24, 2018 at 3:10 PM
Arthur C. Brooks, a New York Times author, had quite the odd experience 24 years ago in Spain. He was there initially for a marriage but stayed for another two weeks and prepared the traditional Thanksgiving feast, with minor issues but those can be ignored to give gratitude for the family he had. There were obvious cultural differences between the American and Spanish culture, that being that in Spain they don't celebrate Thanksgiving like the United States and Canada. His inlaws began to ask simplistic questions which soon developed into philosophilical questions, such as the question of "Should you celebrate this holiday even if you don't feel grateful," which left Brooks pondering. He came to the conclusion even if you don't feel grateful that you can still express gratitude, which seems rather oxymoronic but is actually valid.
With modern day society it is rather difficult to feel grateful with everything going on and the world constantly leading you in a new direction as Brooks points out. "Fake it until you make it" is a common phrase used by people suffering with depression, which Brooks adapts for his argument. He then quotes a study on the CD38 gene, which expressed that those who who express this gene are typically more grateful. But does this stop those who don't express this gene from expressing gratitude? The simple answer is no because you can fake it until you make it, which leads to an improvement in life.
Brooks then continues to quote a study that involved two groups of people, one assigned to list off things they were grateful for while the other listed hassled or neutral events. Through this study, ten weeks later, it revealed that those who listed things they were grateful for ended up having better life satisfaction.
Another way to fake it until you make it is smiling, which tricks your brain into releasing oxytocin. Brooks then makes the joke "If grinning for an uncomfortably long time like a scary lunatic isn’t your cup of tea, try expressing gratitude instead," which is funny, but is also valid as it also does trick your brain into stimulating the hypothalamus and the ventral tegmental area. By acting happy and expressing gratitude both your life and other's lives around you are improved so fake it until you make it.
Of course, every great thing has to have its downsides. A study in the Journal of Consumer Psychology reveals that those who express gratitude are more likely to crave sweets. No wonder Santa is always portrayed as a man with a stomach that resembles a bowl full of jelly.
Brooks overall message of fake it until you make it has a strong impact on the readers who do not feel or express gratitude enough. Although, it may be hard Brooks points out, it is always a possibility to trick yourself into being grateful, but of course this is something that needs to be practiced all year. He then concludes his article with these wise words of advice "don’t express gratitude only when you feel it. Give thanks especially when you don’t feel it."
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AnonymousNovember 24, 2018 at 9:20 PM
Arthur C. Brooks recounts the experience he had soon after being married. Arthur decided that he wanted to show his Spanish in-laws a glimpse into his American culture. Throughout preparing for the celebration Brooks was constantly being bombarded with difficulty upon difficulty. Finally, when everyone sat down to enjoy the Thanksgiving meal he had worked so hard to achieve he was asked both practical and philosophical questions. However, the one that stuck with him most was, “Should you celebrate this holiday even if you don’t feel grateful?” Arthur Brooks had a difficult time answering that question. Twenty four year later he is an accomplished author for the New York Times and can finally answer that question he had struggled with.
Arthur C. Brooks beginning his argument by stating that being grateful is not as easy as it seems. To support his case he gives an example of an angry uncle who talks about his political views that puts a damper on the party. “...Thanksgiving dinners are usually ruined by a drunk uncle who always needs to share his political views.” He uses this example to relate to the reader. To further support his case, instead of having the reader rely just on what he says, he also includes studies that he had researched. He talked about how the gene CD38 actually makes people genuinely more grateful. Even if people were not born with the CD38 gene Brooks found that there is still hope. Through researching this study he learned that people can fake being grateful.
Arthur Brooks learned from another study that found that it is possible to pretend to be happy. Later, it is possible that the person can truly become a happy and grateful person. In other words, how the Stoic philosopher Epictetus phrased it, “He is a man of sense who does not grieve for what he has not, but rejoices in what he has.” Epictetus is right, highlighting on the good events that happened instead of the bad can obviously make someone more thankful for what they have. However, that is not to say there would not be challenges along the way.
As any good writer must do, Brooks also provides defense against his own argument. Arthur Brooks found that people could potentially become overweight because being grateful and happy tends to have people crave sweets. But hey, who does not love sweets? As stated in Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Doing deeds with a grateful heart can never be a bad thing. It would be better to be truly happy than be ungrateful and miserable in life.
Arthur Brooks finishes his argument by including both emotion and facts. The reason that Brooks decided to write on this topic was simple, he wanted people to be thankful. He wanted people to be grateful not just for the holidays, but hopefully for the rest of their lives. Arthur finishes the main objective of his piece with two small but inspiring words, “Give thanks.”
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JacobNovember 25, 2018 at 11:13 AM
This is very well written and easy to follow. You did a good job of backing your points with quotes from the article.
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AnonymousNovember 25, 2018 at 1:21 PM
Hi Grace! I just wanted to let you know that I am so very thankful for you. You are a great example for our class of strength, and you always have a such a big smile on your face! I hope you had a blessed thanksgiving.
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AnonymousNovember 25, 2018 at 1:25 PM
Nearly 24 years ago in Barcelona, Spain, Arthur C. Brooks cooked his wife’s family an American Thanksgiving meal. Being an American, Brooks knew that his Spanish wife’s family was not traditionally familiar with this holiday, and so he decided to bring them an experience that many of them will never forget. Although it was difficult for Arthur to cook the whole meal by himself, he was doing it for a group of people that he was thankful for to say nonetheless. After the cooking and preparing was complete, the family all sat down together to enjoy the meal, but with the meal came a variety of multiple tough questions. The holiday is called Thanksgiving, and Mrs. Brooks’ Spanish family had broken up the word, and really took into account the word, “Thanks.”
In a very pathos driven article, Arthur Brooks explains what it really means to be thankful. One of the questions brought to his attention that really stumped him was, “Should you celebrate the holiday even if you don’t feel grateful?” and 24 years later, Brooks is finally able to answer that question with his complete knowledge. Brooks came up with the answer that being grateful is not as easy as people make it out to be. To support this argument, he compares it to a happy Thanksgiving dinner being ruined by a drunk uncle who brings up his political views. He also includes some of his own research that he conducted, stating that the CD38 gene generally makes people more grateful, but if you’re born without it, there is still hope that you can be grateful.
Through Brooks’ research and factual information, he uses logos and states the logic behind his argument. He also learned from other articles that people can fake being grateful, and pretend to be happy. This may help the person become happy for the things they have by highlighting the good events, rather than the bad.
Winding down to the end of his article, Brooks’ did what any other great writer would do, and defend his argument. He said that being grateful could in fact, make you fat. He found in a study that people begin to crave sweets while they are expressing their gratitude towards something. Brooks says to make gratitude a routine, not only in November, but all throughout the year.
To finish his article, Brooks’ states why he wrote this argument, and that is because he wants people to be more thankful. He wants people to take out the positives in every situation rather than the negatives, and last but not least, he wants people to “Give Thanks” for everything they have, and not grieve for the things they don’t.
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AnonymousNovember 25, 2018 at 2:28 PM
Twenty-four years ago, Arthur C. Brooks was married in Spain. Shortly after, he decided that he would introduce his in-laws to the American tradition of Thanksgiving by preparing for them an authentic Thanksgiving meal. Of course, this undertaking brought with it unique challenges and many questions. Some of the questions asked by Arthur C. Brooks’s new relatives about the holiday were more practical, while others leaned towards the more philosophical side. One of the more philosophical questions asked was, “Should you celebrate this holiday even if you don’t feel grateful.” This question really struck a chord with Arthur C. Brooks.
Finally able to answer the question, it became the basis of Arthur C. Brooks’s argument. One of the central themes present in his argument is how important it is for someone to always have a grateful attribute towards life. He begins his argument by acknowledging the fact that it is sometimes difficult to feel grateful all the time, and that a grateful mindset is sometimes hard to achieve in today’s world. However, he continues to elaborate on this, saying that if you simply desire to be grateful, than your outlook on life will change.
To back up this point, Arthur C. Brooks discloses a study done on the CD38 gene, a gene associated with gratitude. He explains the results of this study by saying, “Some people simply have a heightened genetic tendency to experience, in the researchers’ words, ‘global relationship satisfaction, perceived partner responsiveness and positive emotions (particularly love).’ That is, those relentlessly positive people you know who seem grateful all the time may simply be mutants.” By this, he means that people who appear to be the happiest and most grateful, are the ones who are born with this gene. However, it doesn’t mean that people who don’t have this gene are destined to a life of misery. Arthur C. Brooks also explains another study that has shown to increase positive emotions. During this study, participants were asked to force a smile for twenty seconds. During this time, researchers found that the brain was stimulated to produce positive emotions.
Of course, like any good rhetor, Arthur C. Brooks explained the opposing view to his argument. He explains a study that shows people who express increased emotions of gratitude and overall happiness tend to crave sweets more. This could lead to the problem of weight gain. However, it’s nothing a little self-resistance couldn’t fix.
By including these studies in his argument, Arthur C. Brooks builds his ethos and proves the point that you can actually “fake it til you make it.” He proves another point that a sense of gratitude for life in general is possible to achieve no matter how bleak life can seem at the moment by including an example from his personal life. He received an angry email one day from a person who had read a book of his. This email called Arthur C. Brooks a fraud and tore down his writing. However, Arthur C. Brooks said that he was extremely grateful that the person had even read the book in the first place. Now that is a grateful attitude to strive for.
Arthur C. Brooks ends his argument with a pathos loaded question, “Be honest: When was the last time you were grateful for the spots on a trout?” This question goes beyond the focus of a mere trout. The question is am urging for the reader to reflect on the little things they have to be grateful for every day. Arthur C. Brooks’s argument is something that should affect everyone in one way or another.
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AnonymousNovember 25, 2018 at 3:46 PM
Around twenty-seven years ago, Arthur C. Brooks married his wife in Barcelona, Spain. Two short weeks later, he struggled with making Thanksgiving dinner for his new in-laws. Not only did he struggle with cooking the meal, he struggled with their philosophical questions such as, “Should you celebrate this holiday even if you don’t feel grateful?” He was stumped by this question, so he then started on his journey to discover the meaning of gratefulness, especially during the holiday season. He eventually decided that it’s not always best to be emotionally authentic. Through several supportive claims, he proved that acting grateful actually has the power to make you grateful.
He understands how difficult it can be for some people to be grateful and show gratitude because of their lack of ideal circumstances and suffering deprivation or depression. During the holidays, he knows some people struggle with finding something for which to be grateful. He uses the example of “a drunk uncle who always needs to share his political views,” in order to further the validity of his argument. Brooks knows that for people in situations such as these do not experience gratitude easily. On the other hand, he proved that some people are naturally more grateful and optimistic than others because of a gene variation (CD38) that is associated with gratitude.
Later in his article, he suggests that happiness can be a choice. By simply choosing to practice gratitude, people can actively raise their own levels of happiness. He showed through valid evidence that simply focusing on the little things to be grateful for, people can automatically have a more positive outlook on their lives. He proved this by bringing up a research study conducted 2003 that had random groups of people keep lists of little things they were thankful for and had another group keep track of inconveniences or somewhat neutral events. The study concluded that people who focused on the positive things had more life satisfaction than those who focused on the negative aspects of their daily lives.
Throughout his article, Brooks proved that choosing to show gratitude and making your own happiness can have positive effects on yourself and the people around you. He wants people to give thanks, especially in the moments when they least feel like giving it. Brooks took his own advice by showing gratitude, especially when it was not only when he felt it. Now he wants everyone to understand the amazing effects that simply giving thanks can have.
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AnonymousNovember 25, 2018 at 4:00 PM
Arthur C. Brooks wrote an opinionated article in The New York Times that had the minds of millions of readers pondering the idea of what it means to be grateful. He argued that despite the hardships taking place in today’s world, there is always something to be grateful for. He builds his authority and introduces his topic by telling a story about spending Thanksgiving in Barcelona, Spain with his in-laws. Brooks went above and beyond in order to assure that the dinner was celebrated in the all-American way. After the calamity, one particular question, asked by a relative, stirred his mind; “Should you celebrate this holiday even if you don’t feel grateful?”

This rather simple question actually turned out to be quite complex. Throughout the process, Arthur C. Brooks did endless research on the act of being grateful and even made some hasty generalizations. Brooks mentioned, “In a nutshell, acting grateful can actually make you grateful,” and “For many people, gratitude is difficult, because life is difficult.” Perhaps, one is just being grateful because they are forced to be, or a person could be the wealthiest man in town, who has life cut out for him, but often have a hard time being grateful. It is easy to see that these statements may not always be right, but Mr. Brooks offers ample evidence that supports the claims he makes. He makes sure to include the variety of different studies that have been conducted on gratitude, such as the variation in the CD38 gene and the other experiments done in 2003 and 2011. This logic acts as a backbone to the argument being made and expresses its validity.

Emotions are the basis of Arthur’s article. It was published right around the time of Thanksgiving, just as when families are being brought together for the first time in months, maybe even years. People are in a scurry making sure everything is in place for the upcoming events. The turkey is in the oven, football is on TV, kids are laughing, and the aroma of pumpkin spice candles fill the air. Emotions are in full swing. When would be a better time to publish an article about the common feeling of Thanksgiving? Also, Brooks includes a likely objection about how being grateful can have the tendency to make people fat; which also spurs a little humor. Overall, the way pathos was included was certainly no mistake.

When Arthur C. Brooks states, “If you want a truly happy holiday, choose to keep the “thanks” in Thanksgiving, whether you feel like it or not,” he really identifies the foundation of the argument. Thanksgiving is not all about food and football, it is about giving thanks and realizing what is really in front of you.
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AnonymousNovember 25, 2018 at 4:01 PM
Being grateful is more than simply feeling happy. Arthur Brooks knew this, so he decided to spread the true meaning and benefits of being grateful through a written column. By building his credibility, sharing studies and reason, and touching on the emotions of his audience, Brooks wrote an effective persuasive argument portraying his views of what gratefulness actually is.
Beginning an argument by revealing ones credibility is a great way to show trustworthiness for the information that follows. Arthur hinted to his commitment and his trustworthiness by beginning his column with the number of years he spent with his wife in marriage. After providing this fact about himself, he told about the international idealism that brought him to share his American culture with his foreign in-laws. This causes a connection with his patriotic American audience. To establish more credibility for himself, he included his personal conflict with the true meaning of gratefulness before he found his answer that he is willing to share. By revealing his credibility, Brooks gained the likings of his audience and prepared them for the information that was to come.
Reason and studies carried much of the persuasive load in this article. To get his point across, Brooks included a multitude of studies to help back up his point. Most of the studies concluded that acting happy or grateful will actually result in feeling those emotions. Arthur also provided examples of how to obtain gratefulness. The reasoning and studies used to prove Brook’s point allowed him to convince his audience that his view of gratefulness is the correct one.
Touching on the emotions of his audience was the last thing Arthur did in his article. He told his audience to take what they learned and apply it to their own lives during the upcoming Thanksgiving. He wanted to help his audience see in a new light, and he could only do that by showing them that it is possible and it actually works. Arthur showed them by being the pioneer to advice and being grateful for everything he can be, which includes his audience for reading his work.
Being grateful is more than a feeling. Arthur Brooks tried to convince others of this through his writing that consisted of revealing his credibility, providing reason, and touching on his audience’s emotions. Arthur provides many compelling points. If taking any one message from his article, it would be important to remember, “give thanks especially when you don’t feel it.” It may be tough, but being grateful is important for living a happy healthy life.
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AnonymousNovember 25, 2018 at 4:43 PM
“Choose to be grateful, it will make you happier,” argues Arthur C. Brooks. Following his marriage to a girl from Barcelona, Brooks decided to prepare the traditional Thanksgiving dinner for his family. However, due to the fact that there are cultural differences between the American and Spanish cultures, his family asked several questions. The question "Should you celebrate this holiday even if you don't feel grateful" was one of them. This question was one that stuck with Brooks throughout his life. He argues that even if you do not feel grateful, you can still express gratitude. Throughout the article he gives proof of this and uses rhetorical strategies in order to convince his audience of his beliefs.
In order to support this arguments, he uses comparisons. For example when stating that being grateful is not easy, he compares it to a Thanksgiving dinner being ruined by a drunk uncle who brings up his political views. He also talked about how the gene CD38 actually makes people more grateful. Even if people were not born with the CD38 gene Brooks found that there is still hope. He learned from another study that it is possible to pretend to be happy. Arthur Brooks also found that people could potentially become overweight because being grateful tends to make people crave sweets.
Brooks finishes his argument by showing pathos and logos. He shows much emotion throughout the article and backs it all up with facts. He used these rhetorical strategies in order to help the reader become more grateful. He supported several different studies in order to prove his thoughts and demonstrate how to be grateful not only on holidays, but everyday.
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AnonymousNovember 25, 2018 at 4:55 PM
Arthur C. Brooks has been writing for The New York Times ever since March of 2014. He used to be professor of business and government at Syracuse University, has written ten books, and is now the current president of the American Enterprise Institute. He does not come out and directly state his argument, but rather, Brooks shows that being more grateful makes peoples lives happier and more satisfactory through using a personal account, looking at it logically, and finding the “so what” behind it.
Arthur begins by grabbing the audience’s attention as well as connecting himself to why this argument is relevant in the readers’ life and its importance to him. He does this by explaining a personal account of when the question “Should you celebrate this holiday even if you don’t feel grateful?” about Thanksgiving was asked to him. Also, by using a personal account, Brooks is using pathos in order to connect to his audience by stirring up their own feelings on the holiday and striking them with an interesting question. It shows that even he was puzzled by the question at first before finding out the truth, which establishes his ethos on the topic.
Brooks also looks at the argument in a very logical sense as well. First, he uses an enthymeme. Life is difficult, therefore gratitude is difficult. He explains that it certainly is not easy to be grateful all the time. He then goes on to talk about multiple studies that have to do with the subject at hand. For example, he talks about how some people are more grateful and positive from their genes, and how a group of people that wrote down things they were grateful for each week had a significantly greater life satisfaction than the other group that did not. He talks about multiple other studies as well, which also go on to prove his point that gratefulness greatly improves a person’s quality of life.
He also addresses the downsides to expressing gratitude. Brooks explains that there have been studies suggesting that expressing gratitude can make people crave sweets. So, long story short, if a person expresses gratitude often, they may be more likely to become fat. He does not refute it, as it is not fully scientifically proven. Instead, he turns it into a joke, calling it the “Pumpkin Pie Paradox.”
Through a personal account using pathos, logos, and explaining the “so what?” behind the argument, Brooks explains his stance on being grateful. Arthur Brooks shows that by being grateful for the little, random things in life, people can have lives filled with more happiness, positivity, and love.
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AnonymousNovember 25, 2018 at 5:10 PM
It was a beautiful day for an American man living in his new found country, Spain, with his wife.. Twenty-four years ago this happy man decided to bring America to his wife’s family. Thanksgiving is a holiday celebration that takes countless hours of preparation but Arthur C. Brooks cook the whole meal for his wife’s Spanish family to show his gratitude. The holiday, being foreign to them, they asked a lot of different questions. They asked him about the origin and the true meaning of the day, to give thanks.
One question that stuck out to him was that if people aren’t grateful do they celebrate thanksgiving. He is now finally giving an answer. The simple question was answered with many different views. He uses pathos with examples like a drunk uncle ruining a happy thanksgiving with politics. He also proved his case with a logical study about a study that shows when people put on a fake smile their brain releases positive emotions. He pointed out the negatives as well mentioning a study that happier people are drawn to unhealthy sweets which can lead to health issues.
The article is filled with much logic but with all this logic he uses a fair amount of pathos to further his points. He shows that even if people fake happiness they may find themselves focusing on the good. This good is sometimes shown through a specific gene called CD38 as Arthur mentions in his answer. CD38 is a gene that is proven to be linked to gratitude which is the whole basis of this thanksgiving season.
Mr. Brooks writes this article trying to show the importance of being thankful. Without really knowing it he did this in the first place twenty-four years ago when he decided to give thanks with his wife’s family. He write this to encourage people to be more thankful in their everyday lives and also to always reflect on the positive. He wants to show people that thanksgiving is an important holiday to give thanks and be happy.
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AnonymousNovember 25, 2018 at 5:18 PM
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AnonymousNovember 25, 2018 at 5:40 PM
Thanksgiving is a holiday in the USA for families to gather and eat a lot of homemade meals. Thanksgiving, however, is also “the expression of gratitude, especially to God” according to the dictionary. Arthur C. Brooks writes an article for the New York Times about his life changing experience after marrying his wife in Spain, who is from Spain. His wife was raised in Barcelona from a very spanish culture driven family. They like most families, had many traditions just like Arthur did. Brooks decided they should stay for an extra two weeks after their marriage to cook a Thanksgiving feast for her family. This being a new tradition to her and her family they had many questions. One of the new family members asked Arthur a question that changed his perspective. This person said, “Should you celebrate this holiday even if you don’t feel grateful?” Therefore, he decided to look into this question more in depth.
Arthur C. Brooks uses detailed examples to support his conclusion 24 years later. He first says how sometimes it’s hard to be grateful for everything in today’s society. He then says how they did a study about how if you desire to be grateful your perspective on life will change. Meaning if you want to be thankful for thing you will find things to be thankful for. They did an experiment with two people. They both had to write things they were thankful for, by the end of the week they had smaller things to be thankful for instead of general things like in the beginning.
To back this point up he talks about the CD38 gene. This gene is a genetic tendency to have more satisfaction over things and have a positive attitude. This is naturally given to people and you’ll know if they have it if they are one of those people that just seem to always be positive and up lifting. However, if you were not born with this gene, you can still be like these people with a new perspective.
Like expected, he addresses the people who may disagree with him and he nailed it. Arthur C. Brooks established his ethos in the beginning and wrapping it up with pathos. Maybe next time i’ll remember the small spots on a fish.
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Anthony GergNovember 25, 2018 at 5:42 PM
The argument is that we should be thankful and happy during these times of the year, whether we want to or not. We should love our family and those around us. He does this by telling a story of how he married his with from Spain, and then about his experience of Thanksgiving in Spain. He talks about how he got caught up on the questions his in-laws asked him. He comes up with an answer to one of the questions-"How do you be grateful for something your really not grateful for?" He talks about a bunch of stuff, using things like a drunk uncle, or how some people are more grateful than others. He also uses quite a bit of logic through the entire essay, with the research to back up his thesis. It's well written and directed towards people of towards world.
Overall, he shows how well you can be with just being happy, than not being happy. It shows, with research, how you can benefit from just being happy. It's quite amazing what it does for you. Maybe more people should think about being happier and more thankful.
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Julie HoffmanNovember 25, 2018 at 5:59 PM
For some people, the holidays are a difficult time for many people. Sad as it is, families do not often get along, causing the joyous holidays to be full of arguments and bickering. When that happens, it can be difficult to see the true meaning of the Holidays and difficult to see why we should be grateful. Arthur C. Brooks, in his essay tried to convince his audience the benefits of being grateful using emotional, logical, and appeals to his character.
This is a deeply emotional essay. Right off the bat, he starts the essay with an anecdote about his first Thanksgiving with his wife’s family. He then speaks about his experience with critical email that he once received and how he responded to it. Using this emotional appeals helps bridge the gap between the the audience and the author. His humorous opening story, reminds readers of the first holiday they have spent with their in-laws or someone new. His story of the hateful email reminds readers of the internet “trolling” so common now. These relatable stories help make his argument more convincing.
There is a strong logical appeal in this essay. He quotes several well known and respected studies to back up the his conclusions. He also quotes some respected individuals and the psychology field, helping his argument. Those convince the reader that what the author is saying has some merit and deserves a listen. This is an important reason of why the essay is so convincing.
There is also a a strong appeal to the authors character in this essay. His talk about his career, specifically his published book. lends him an air of credibility which makes the audience be open to his argument. Upon further research, the audience learns about his other credentials. His credentials makes this argument worth listening too.
The holidays, though they are supposed to be happy and joyous, are often not. It is a sad fact that our closest family can often alienate and make us the most upset on what is supposed to be a joyous occasion. I have personally experienced this and truthfully, it is no picnic. But hopefully, by doing what be are supposed to do on this holiday (be grateful) we can finally be happy.
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AnonymousNovember 25, 2018 at 6:27 PM
This article is written on the topic of being grateful. It expresses the idea that acting grateful can actually make one become grateful. This is a relative point because of the near holidays but also one to consider year round. The author, Arthur C. Brooks, went through several rhetorical strategies to prove his hypothesis, each having an appropriate place and execution.
He establishes ethos at first by talking about his family and how this whole question came about. He greatly furthers his ethos throughout the passage by citing many good studies and a lot of work that clearly shows his passion and dedication. It is clear that he truly wants to help us become grateful, and that is what he does.
He supports his points with facts and logic. These come from several resources which are of notable origin. He manages to pack all of this information into a relatively short article without seeming to be choppy. And he really relates to his readers in a short time to close all of his points with real life logic and fit. This goes a long way in showing the truth behind his arguments.
He establishes the whole idea of emotion by showing his personality and his life. That he is truly grateful to all of his readers, even those who oppose him. He also speaks to his family and people personally, this can engulf the reader with emotions of self and love. He introduces all these topics without being obvious and is therefore using the subtle act of rhetoric and sway.
He shows his argument clearly with facts and logic to back it up. He also shows some real world examples and personal relations. That, along with an actual how to on this whole idea, really completes the argument and certainly leaves the reader with the ideas of Mr. Brooks fresh in their minds.
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AnonymousNovember 25, 2018 at 6:47 PM
Newlywed Arthur C. Brooks wrote in the New York Times about his experience of bringing an American Thanksgiving into his wife’s Spanish family. One person asked “Should you celebrate this holiday even if you don’t feel grateful?” This question sparked much thought and research. Brooks promotes practicing gratitude daily for anything and everything.
Brooks surrounds his ideas around the topic of acting grateful results in being grateful. By finding something to appreciate in every aspect of life, people can become more grateful. Even if it is gratitude for something small, like the spots on a trout, it can go a long way according to Brooks. Studies on gratitude show evidence of the CD38 gene associated with gratitude. Some people are genetically geared toward being gratuitous, according to these studies.
To become more gratuitous, Brooks suggests practicing interior and exterior gratitude. Interior gratitude is done privately, while exterior gratitude is done through public expression. By recognizing the small, or large positives in life, one can practice interior gratitude. By sending a “thank you” card, or telling someone you’re grateful for them, exterior gratitude is presented.
Throughout his writing, he includes strong refutatio by recognizing that there is a downside to practicing gratitude. The downside is weight gain, and yes, he notes that it sounds foolish. At the end, he included a final spurt of pathos by wishing all readers a good Thanksgiving, and that he is thankful for all readers.
Brooks’ effective argument convinces readers to consciously practice noting things that they are grateful for in their daily life. By hitting the psychological, scientific, and common arguments of the topic of gratuity, Brooks effectively presents the topic.
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AnonymousNovember 25, 2018 at 7:15 PM
Arthur Brooks, you could say, was a man who has lived the American dream. Division one college graduate, successful author, and husband of over 20 years, Brooks truly had every right to be grateful. He has argued that being grateful isn’t just simply about being happy. Being a knowledgeable man, his argument was very convincing and clear-cut. He initiates his successful argument by telling a personal story that took place shortly after his wedding day. This builds up his argument because he is establishing that he has a personal connection and valid reasoning behind his statement. It is evident throughout his argument that he is a stellar author and writer, due to the fact that he is very persuasive and easy to follow. Also, in his writing, he keeps the audience engaged and interested. He continues with his argument by using factual evidence. Adding evidence from a 2014 journal that explains the CD38 gene. He also does a remarkable job appealing to the ethos by adding quirky analogies into his argument in order to keep the audience entertained and understanding. Arthur Brooks has the argument style figured out to a tee. He puts his strong writing abilities to good use and it is evident in his argument.
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Anna KamatsNovember 25, 2018 at 8:00 PM
Arthur Brooks, an author and newly wed, wrote a compelling argument on gratitude after a traditional thanksgiving with his in-laws from Spain. After a question was brought up to Arthur, “Should you celebrate this holiday even if you don’t feel grateful?”, he thought long and hard on the topic of gratitude. Why should someone lie about being grateful when nothing in their life is quite right? He then goes on to state that even if you do not exactly feel grateful for the things around you, you should at least practice or pretend to be. It’s kind of like faking it till you make it. If you are acting grateful, eventually you will be grateful and happy. He backs up his arguments with scientific studies that prove his idea, such as the study from 2003 that had one group of people write down what they were thankful for and had a different group write down daily hassles or events. The first group came out happier then the second, which is a blatantly obvious result since surrounding yourself with positivity tends to make you more positive as a person. He also goes on to tell of another study that made people smile for up to twenty seconds which led to the stimulation of positive brain emotions. Although it may seem a bit awkward to smile for no reason, there are other ways to gain positivity such as practicing gratefulness instead. By doing this, people are not only having a positive impact on themselves, but on each and everyone around them. Arthur Brooks shows a basic way to learn gratitude by slowly learning until you know it. With consideration and thought, everyone can be grateful, even if only for the small things in their lives.
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AnonymousNovember 25, 2018 at 8:42 PM
Arthur C. Brooks is a well-known American, opinion writer for The New York Times. Around 27 years ago, he got married to his wife in Barcelona, Spain. Shortly after, he decided that he wanted to give his in-laws a sense of what the Thanksgiving holiday was all about. Over the course of the dinner, many questions arose in regards to Thanksgiving itself. “Should you celebrate this holiday even if you don’t feel grateful?” This, of course, got Brooks thinking. Is it actually proper to celebrate the holiday without a true meaning behind it? He thought about it and did some research to find out more about gratitude. There are different studies that deal with gratitude directly. There is even a gene (CD38) that is involved with gratitude. People can actively practice gratitude in order to keep a more positive outlook on different aspects of life. Different steps can make it easier for people to express gratitude, such as “interior gratitude” and “exterior gratitude.” These involve private and public expressions of gratitude. Also, once a person develops a deep understanding of gratitude and is able to express it fully, they will be able to express it with insignificant things. Once someone does this, they can give gratitude for the one responsible for it all, God. Instead of considering the main, big things to be grateful for, give and show gratitude in all aspects of life.
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Gabriel KearNovember 27, 2018 at 4:01 PM
Arthur C Brooks, a writer for the “NewYork Times,” has been married to his spouse for 27 years. His wife is Spanish, reigning from Barcelona. Since her side of the family is unfamiliar with Thanksgiving, Arthur thought it would be a good idea to have a Thanksgiving dinner with his wife’s family. His in-laws asked him an array of questions, ranging from wondering how an animal is stuffed to more philosophical ones. A particular question that stumped Arthur was, “Should you celebrate this holiday even if you don’t feel grateful?” He had never really thought of it before, and probably nobody has either. This question brought Arthur down a rabbit hole of gratitude and how and when to express it. Instead of being grateful during Thanksgiving, Arthur attempts to persuade the readers to be grateful all the time, especially when it is difficult to be appreciative. He found studies on the effects of being grateful and that some people are genetically better at being grateful. He discussed that being grateful makes for a better, happier life; and who wouldn’t want that! For the past 27 years, Arthur has focused on being more appreciative of others and the small things in the world. Nowadays, many minute details are ignored or overlooked, but they are all God’s creation and they are beautiful. Arthur has realized this and wants to change the world for the better.
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AnonymousNovember 27, 2018 at 10:22 PM
To Arthur Brooks the key to a stress free and happy holiday season is gratitude. He first came up with this idea when he tried to make his relatives in Barcelona a traditional American thanksgiving. They asked questions like, “should you celebrate this holiday even if you are not thankful” which then led him to his gratitude theory. He clearly stated that this may not be easy for everyone to achieve but gave ways on how we can all be grateful even for the little things in our lives. It seems almost funny that he states we should all show gratitude even when we’re not grateful. To most people this would not make sense but it is a very strong point when you look at it deeper. The idea behind this is that though pretending to be happy, we can trick our brains into becoming more positive, and as Brooks states we do not have to do this by constantly having a smile on our face. He states that the science behind this is that by focusing on the good things with a positive outlook, we will feel better than we would if we focused on the bad things. By being positive and expressing gratitude we will not only enhance our outlooks on life but the outlooks of those around us. One strong message displayed here is that we should not have a designated month in which we express our gratitude but rather we should do it all the time, and without having to force it. There is something to be thankful for everyday and it does not have to be something major, it could even be as small as the clouds in the sky. Regardless of what we are thankful for Brooks shows us that we should be thankful for something all of the time, and in doing so we will not only improve our lives but the lives of those around us.
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AnonymousJanuary 14, 2019 at 8:48 PM
Arthur Brooks said the key to a happy Thanksgiving is being thankful, grateful. In fact it’s even in the name of the holiday. Drawing from many establish sources and various experiments Arthur shows the benefits emotionally to being grateful. Even faking gratitude at that. A certain experiment he wrote, showed that faking a smile causes dopamine receptors to fire, causing true happiness. Also, the author used a story from his own life to begin into his argument. His wife’s family was from Spain, so he decided to prepare a true American feast for the family. However the point of this story wasn’t that American traditions conjure true happiness. The point was that everyone has something to be thankful for, and that gratefulness is universally positive. This gratefulness shouldn’t be confined to these holiday months and or even days for some people. Being grateful all the time can have a great impact on anyone’s life, including those around these radiating grateful people. Overall, the significance of gratefulness should not be ignored by anyone. Each and every person should be thankful for all they’ve been given in this life. If the whole world could look more on the positives than the negatives in life, this would be a much happier place to live.
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