Affected Quote by Marcus Tullius Cicero
“Nothing in oratory is more important than to win for the orator the favour of his hearer, and to have the latter so affected as to be swayed by something resembling an impulse of the spirit impetu quodam animi or emotion perturbatione, rather than by judgment or deliberation. For men decide far more problems by hate, or love, or lust, or rage, or sorrow, or joy, or hope, or fear, or illusion, or some other inward emotion aliqua permotione mentis, than by reality or authority, or any legal standard, or judicial precedent or statute.”
About This Quote
Source Treatise: De Oratore, Book I, 55 BC
Orators succeed by stirring emotions rather than relying on logical argument alone.
In simple terms: Emotions persuade more than facts.
Key Takeaway
Use emotional appeal to influence audiences.
Themes
persuasion
emotion
oratory
Mood
cautionary
analytical
Type
rhetorical
ethical
When to use this quote
- political speeches
- advertising campaigns
- public debates
- legal arguments
Key Concepts
rhetoric
psychology
social influence
Questions to Reflect On
- When is emotional appeal ethical?
- How can you balance logic and feeling?
A Different Perspective
Overreliance on emotion can manipulate and undermine truth.
![“Things sacred should not only be touched with the hands, but unviolated in thought. [Lat., Res sacros non modo manibus attingi, sed ne cogitatione quidem violari fas fuit.]” quote by Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/deb/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_hands_things-sacred-should-not-only-be-touched_11960.jpg)
