Appeal to Audience (or Flattery) – inflating the audience’s ego in order to solicit a favorable response.
 

Writers and speakers need to make their audiences feel friendly toward them, identify with them, and gain their trust.  This sense of trust is essential for others to accept another person’s ideas.  However, when authors strive only to gain public support by molding their words and deeds to fit public opinion, then they are merely pandering or condescending to us for their own personal gain.  Ask critical questions to recognize the purposes of an author’s emotions:

--  Should we trust others because they tell us that we are their friends?

--  Do we listen more closely to others who like the way that we wear our hair?

--  Aren’t most “pick-up” lines really just superficial flattery intended to gain something (e.g., a relationship or sexual conquest)?

Similarly, speakers also resort to flattery to gain one’s support.  Kind words, handshakes, and flag-waving might win the heart of some, but the audience needs to ask at some point, “Where is the substance?”  The writer may make us feel pleased with our selves, our possessions, our achievements, and our heritage.  These authors suggest that they are “on our side” and smart enough to recognize our value, but they may only intend to cater to our smugness, self-satisfaction, or pride.  There must be more to an argument than simply “puffing up” the audience.
 

EXAMPLES  

1. Politician #1: “You and I are just plain folks.  We understand each other, and we ain’t gonna let them fool us!”

2. Politician #2: “America is the greatest country in the world, and Americans are the most generous.  Now show that great American generosity with a small contribution to my cause ….”

In these examples, Americans can feel a closer identity with the politician, but what do the people really know about him?  What are their arguments?  The phrase “flattery gets you nowhere” could apply here.  If we falsely associate a good feeling that someone gives us with the speaker’s real intentions, then we are relegating ourselves to suckers.

Politicians, advertisers, and salesmen are often the most vocal culprits of using such schemes, being that their jobs depend on them.   Never forget that flatterers are always selling something … and we are their victims.  One doesn’t gain anything without some price or consequence.