After analyzing and grasping exactly what rhetoric is, one starts to recognize it more in their daily life. We are constantly exposed to rhetoric everywhere we go whether it’s visual, conversational or written. I’m exposed to rhetoric starting early in the morning in my dorm with posters and bulletins boards posted by my Resident Assistant. There are even flyers in the bathroom stall persuading me and my other fellow residents to attend various events taking place on campus for the month. “The Toilet Paper”, depicted in Figure 1.1, consists of movies, meetings, and campus wide events that we are recommended to attend.

 Figure 1.1 “The Toilet Paper” which is posted in every bathroom stall displaying ads from various organizations on campus.

I’m not only exposed to rhetoric but I also use it myself. Most times I don’t even realize that I’m using rhetoric when trying to get my friends to come to lunch, the gym or even the library. I try to persuade them by telling them the benefits of coming and how it would absolutely kill me if they didn’t come. Just like the ads and commercials that are shown on TV, I use the same rhetorical devices to encourage my friends.

Although many forms of rhetoric are easily recognized after further examining my everyday life, I’ve realized that the simplest things around me are trying to persuade me. For example, the way my roommate and I refrain from putting our names in the door because we like to be left alone. Also, how majority of my RA’s bulletin boards include tips on studying in hopes of keeping us on track, shown below in figure 1.2. These bulletin boards are strategically placed at the end of the halls and right next to the elevator to ensure that we see them on our trips to and from our dorm. Their placement can also be a form of rhetoric because the people who placed them put them in areas they knew would persuade us to read them.

                       

Figure 1.2 The most recent bulletin board posted by my Resident Assistant that has 5 tips about starting this semester off strong.

On a day-to-day basis, I am exposed to numerous types of rhetoric. The radio, television, bulletins, posters, Internet, and billboards are apart of my everyday life. Although, I might not always think of them as rhetorical devices but I realize now that they are. All of these things are used to either persuade me to buy a product, feel a certain way about an idea, or even support a cause.