Appeals Quote by Kenneth Tynan
“When a society has doubts about its future, it tends to produce spokesmen whose main appeal is to the emotions, who argue from intuitions, and whose claim to be truth-bearers rests solely on intense personal feeling.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Theatre of the Absurd, 1965
When a culture is uncertain, it turns to emotionally charged leaders who claim truth based on feeling rather than evidence.
In simple terms: Societies in doubt favor emotional, feeling‑based leaders.
Key Takeaway
Beware of leaders who rely solely on emotion.
Themes
politics
uncertainty
emotional rhetoric
leadership
truth claims
Mood
skeptical
critical
Type
analytical
warning
When to use this quote
- political campaigns
- media commentary
- public debates
- crisis management
Key Concepts
propaganda
psychology
sociology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you distinguish feeling‑based arguments from evidence‑based ones?
- What role should emotion play in public discourse?
A Different Perspective
Emotional appeals can manipulate without factual basis.
![“[Barack Obama] and Michelle, in my heart, this is my personal feeling, epitomize what my mother and my father were. They are community organizers on a global level.” quote by Malaak Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5e0/malaak-shabazz-35523_barack_barack-obama-and-michelle-in-my-heart-th_514411.jpg)
