warrekr-cknuy

Understanding rhetorical situations

A rhetorical situation is essentially a situation surrounding a message, it is how and why someone communicates. This includes who is speaking, who is listening or reading, what they are trying to accomplish, and even what is happening at the time. Understanding the rhetorical situation helps one decide how to express information to a general audience, using a specific tone and words that will be the most effective.

A time I misjudged a rhetorical situation was when I messaged my boss with questions about an upcoming paycheck. I wasn’t trying to be rude or snarky, but I wanted to be quick and to the point so as not to waste his time. This made the message come off the wrong way, and in retrospect, without the specific tone that is lost in the translation of a text message, it did look a little rude.

If I were in the same situation now, I would appear more positive with the way I approached it and be less concise. I would pay more attention to my audience and purpose before communicating, and acknowledge that he is trying to help me. This experience taught me to slow down and that communicating effectively is about more than simply getting information across. The way a message is delivered matters, especially if either person involved can’t easily decipher your tone or mood. Understanding the rhetorical situation can help prevent misunderstandings and make communication more successful.