Hyperbole Will Destroy Us All! Extreme Positions are Rarely Persuasive

WHY IS HYPERBOLE NOT PERSUASIVE?

Hyperbole is very common in informal communication: I’m so hungry I could eat a horse; This is the worst thing that has ever happened; I’m starving; I’ve told you that a thousand times…Hyperbole in this situation is a very useful way to create a mental image that is humorous, is memorable or conveys a strong emphasis. For many, the use of hyperbole in everyday life is something that is done because of habit and is not a conscious decision.

However, in the context of advocacy the strengths of hyperbole can become weaknesses and make your argument less persuasive. That is because the real strength of hyperbole is in the fact that it is intentionally and overtly not true.

When hyperbole is used as a statement that something is more extreme or dramatic than is reasonable but is almost believable or when a hyperbolic statement is presented in a context where it is not clear that it is intended to not be taken as true then it reflects onto the person making the statement.

When attempting to persuade someone, it is important to not create a risk that they will interpret a statement as an intentional intent to mislead instead of an intentionally untrue statement made for rhetorical effect.

The benefit of the use of hyperbole – creating a memorable mental image – can be achieved by using other communication techniques that do not rely on making intentionally untrue statements.

HYPERBOLE CANNOT BE USED WHEN IT CAN BE MISTAKEN AS AN ATTEMPT TO MISLEAD

When attempting to persuade someone, it is important to not create a risk that they will interpret a statement as an intentional intent to mislead instead of an intentionally untrue statement made for rhetorical effect.