Eloquence Quote by Vito Acconci
“If something's public then it seems like the important thing is the person in that public. And the notion of rhetoric. I went to Jesuit schools that focused on first there's grammar, then there's rhetoric, and rhetoric's usually seen as a kind of degraded method, because you're trying to persuade.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Art Talk, 2009
Public attention shifts focus to the individual, reducing complex ideas to personal charisma, while rhetoric is often dismissed as mere persuasion.
In simple terms: Public focus can obscure ideas; rhetoric is undervalued.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the substance beyond the speaker.
Themes
attention
public perception
rhetoric
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
observational
When to use this quote
- political speeches
- marketing pitches
- academic lectures
- social media debates
Key Concepts
media studies
communication theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How does fame affect the reception of ideas?
- When is rhetoric ethical?
A Different Perspective
Rhetoric can be manipulative if not grounded in truth.
![“[Photography was necessary to] make my place in the art-world: in order to do this, I had to make a picture, since a picture was what a gallery or museum was meant to hold (all the while, of course, I was claiming that I was denying the standard, rejecting it...)” quote by Vito Acconci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ee2/vito-acconci-13895_art_photography-was-necessary-to-make-my-pla_205941.jpg)
![“[T]here are, at bottom, basically two ways to order social affairs, Coercively, through the mechanisms of the state - what we can call political society. And voluntarily, through the private interaction of individuals and associations - what we can call civil society. ... In a civil society, you…” quote by Ed Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b8b/ed-crane-39299_affair_t-here-are-at-bottom-basically-two-ways_34431.jpg)
![“It is true that despite occasional gleams of Churchillian eloquence he [Gen. Douglas MacArthur] usually spoke poorly. He was far more effective in conversations a deux. But those who dismiss him as shallow because his rhetoric was fustian err.” quote by William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/996/william-manchester-18393_conversation_it-is-true-that-despite-occasional-gleam_124199.jpg)