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Jay Heinrichs is a leading master of rhetoric, the art of persuasion. He’s the New York Times bestselling author of “Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion.” His latest book, “Aristotle Guide to Self-Persuasion,” digs into how we can use the same persuasive art to change ourselves. Having worked with clients ranging from Southwest Airlines to universities to NASA, Jay also advises marketers and advertising agencies. Bloomberg Businessweek says Jay “brings the art of persuasion to the world’s masters of manipulation”! Jay writes a popular Substack newsletter, “Aristotle’s Guide to Soul Bending.” He says his mission in life is to teach people how to improve relationships, disagree without anger, and get in better touch with our souls.
The Art of Self-Persuasion
Self-persuasion is a dialogue with oneself, where the individual acts as both the speaker and the audience (the soul). Jay differentiates Aristotle’s concept of the soul from Plato’s, describing the Aristotelian soul as the best, unique version of an individual.
The classical rhetorical appeals—ethos (character), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic)—were central to persuading one’s soul, with ethos being the most critical.
Jay advocates for setting “hyperbolic” goals—audacious, seemingly impossible challenges—to inspire significant progress, a concept he called “failing up.”
Related: The Language of Evil
Favorite quotation
“Audi alteram partem (“Hear the other side”)” ― Augustine of Hippo (St. Augustine)
Recommended books
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
Mark Twain by Ron Chernow
Routine to Shine
Marcus Tullius Cicero, who according to himself was the greatest orator in history, said “the eyes are the windows to the soul.” So, one way to connect with your own soul is to think about how you can love people you don’t know very well. And one way to do that is try to look at in a loving way. Send love beams.
Links
Aristotle’s Guide to Self-Persuasion (book)
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