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Guy Doza is a speechwriter, trainer, and public affairs consultant. He started his career in political research before branching out into corporate speechwriting. He now works independently for a range of international clients whom he writes on a variety of subjects. Guy is a two time TEDx speaker and has lectured on rhetoric at several of the world’s leading universities. He has published two books with Canbury Press.
The Language of Evil
Guy’s book, “The Language of Evil,” was written to demonstrate the dangerous, manipulative side of rhetoric that he often warned people about. His research for the book revealed that tyrants and dictators throughout history, from Julius Caesar to Saddam Hussein, used remarkably similar rhetorical patterns to gain and maintain power.
Guy identified three core manipulative techniques: creating a cult of personality (ethos), twisting an audience’s emotions (pathos), and manufacturing a common, hidden enemy to unify their followers.
He argues that rhetoric is most dangerous when used on an audience that does not understand how it works, and he advocated for rhetoric to be taught more widely in schools.
Guy believes that modern social media acts as a “megaphone for the most toxic elements of rhetoric,” which has led to increased polarization and a breakdown in civil debate.
To defend against manipulation, he advises individuals to critically examine their own enthusiastic agreement with a speaker, to learn the mechanics of rhetoric, and to understand their own fundamental values.
Related: Charisma and Persuasion
Favorite quotation
“I have no more power than any one man, merely more authority.” ― Augustus
Recommended books
You Talkin’ To Me? by Sam Leith
Routine to Shine
Give speeches, give plenty of speeches, try. Whether that’s at work, if there’s an opportunity to, even if it’s just do a welcome talk, practise your public speaking. Ask yourself what worked, ask yourself what didn’t reflect on why it worked, reflect on why it didn’t, and then try it again and try and tweak the variables until you really understand how communication works.
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