1. Persuasion
9/4/14
Persuasion is the attempt in influencing others’ behaviors and attitudes. It is a powerful
force in daily life and society. Most of us try to tell ourselves that we are immune to the act of
persuasion, but in reality, we are not. There are two routes to persuasion, which are the central
and peripheral routes. The central route is the route where people attend to and evaluate a
given message. The peripheral route however, is the route where people attend to external
cues such as the attractiveness of the speaker. In most cases, people do not attend to the
details of the message but rather, the external attributes of the speaker. For example, I told
myself that I was going to sign up for gym sessions, but did not in the end. My friend Chern Yie,
who was physically fit, persuaded me in going. He told me the benefits of going to the gym
where I was able to become fit. After a good long period of persuading, I finally agreed to sign
up for gym. Now, I go to the gym almost every day, performing work outs that might probably
make me physically fit. I am grateful for Chern Yie’s efforts in coaching me during my gym
sessions, and I am also grateful that he persuaded me into doing this. From this, I am able to
identify the concept of persuasion, where I was persuaded by my friend into going to the gym. I
was led onto the central route, where I listened to the details of the things Chern Yie had to say
about being physically fit.