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How can we find the Truth for ourselves sifting through the media we…
How can we find the Truth for ourselves sifting through the media we consume? Truth is subjective Olivia Vargas, 19 September 2025
In the Tedx Talk “Rethinking Rhetoric” by Douglas Tappin he speaks about rhetorics persuasive nature and how it is used to convince audiences. Rhetoric can create more interesting ideas without being 100% correct, many speakers use it as a persuasive tool and speak their rhetoric to their truth. Tappin is also using the convincing nature of rhetoric as he speaks on this topic by presenting himself well and speaking assertively pushing his truth on the audience. In a whole he argues that persuasive nature can be more convincing then the truth itself and rhetorics emotional appeal is part of what makes it hugely convincing, always know your truth and be mindful of the persuasive nature.
Truth is subjective. Everyone has their own opinions, their own language, and is their own person. In every text all authors have a different point of view and different beliefs. Tappins truth is the persuasive position of rhetoric and how you can persuade any person on any topic true or not as long as you present yourself correctly. In Tappin’s Tedx Talk he states “what seems to be true not the truth." This only proves no one really knows the truth and persuasion only pushes one persons truth. If the truth was believed by the whole and true to the whole persuasion would not be needed.
Both Tappin and Khrebtan agree that rhetroic is powerful. Rhetoric helps many share their truth and impact how others view their own truth. Khrebtan uses pathos in her writing, making readers feel emotional when they relate to receiving hurtful language. This is an example of powerful rhetoric and how langauge is subjective, and the langauge you use is based on your truth.
Both authors agree that people are constantly convincing others on what seems to be the truth and this persasive nature of big social figures is something that always needs to be questioned to protect your own truths and beliefs.
The Tedx Talk “Rediscovering Rhetoric- Persuasion from a Heart of Love” by Micheal Collender argues that rhetoric is something that comes from a place of love and care rather than being manipulative and persuasive. Rhetoric is used to be empathetic and connect with others without pushing your opinion in a manipulative manner. He talks about two types of rhetoric one from a place of compassion and the other from a place of domination. When rhetoric is used from a place of compassion it provides long term genuine persuasion and not persuasion to push ur opinion among others for domination.
Micheal Collender believing rhetoric comes from a place of love and care relates to when you are dicovering your truth being young and impressionable hearing your parents opinions. Most parents only want what is best for their children so they may often persuade you which ultimitley affects your truth but, they are only trying to give you their best opinions based on their truth.
In some sense people are already separated in groups by their differences. Most families have a same or similar truth when children are young or stay near their families not venturing off. This keeps most people in groups based on their truths
The article “Inflammatory Rhetoric of Othering in Times of Humanitarian Crises” by Julia Khrebtan Horhager tells how negitive language is hurtful in times of crisis and only pushes for division. Her main claim is that negitive rhetoric pushes for stereotypes and influences all peoples truth. The author ties rhetoric leaders and how they always have intention behind what they are saying, using their words to persuade and push their opinion whether it is negitive or positive. Negitive language as a whole only causes othering and divide.
Julia Khretaban gives a reminder to always be postive and speaks on how negitive truths of others pushes for division. This is a postive article reminding us to always question rhetoric as many play on emotion an dpush negitve agendas. Realizing not everyone has your best intrest in mind is a way to avoid the constant persuasion and keep your best truth that you beileve.
In the video “TUA #169- The LA Riots and Our Us v Them World” the speaker is supporting cultural identity and globalism, he believes differences among people cause chaos and we should be separated in groups based on our opinions. He undermines traditional societal structures and mainly pushes for chaos. But, he argues that countries must define who belongs and who doesn't belong in order to keep stability in the country. Although chaos adds character he believes that stability comes from strict controls and beliefs.
This authors truth is stability and he belives to achieve it people with different beliefs should be separated. He uses examples from social media clips of violence and police issues to support his claim that differences in people cause chaos. I agree that differences cause chaos, everyone beilves their ideas are correct and the only ideas that should exist. The fact that all people have their own beliefs shows that truth is subjective to the background you come from. If all humans had the same truth their would be no chaos or violence in the world. Again, supporting his claim of people with the same beliefs should be in the same groups away from others to maintain their societal structures and keep chaos to a minimum.
In the video "TUA #169- The LA Riots and Our Us v Them World" and "Langauge as a Source of Otherness from the international Journal of Cross Cultural Management" both put a blame on othering for causing chaos. Whether the chaos is considered violence or making others feel out of place. The authors have similar truths but push my claim of subjective truth as in the text "Langauge as a Source of Otherness from the international Journal of Cross Cultural Management" the authors push to stop the different truths amoung people and bring everyone together, well the video "TUA- #169 The LA Riots and Our Us v Them World" the speaker wants to separte the people with differnt truths and beliefs rather than bringing them together.
In the article “Language as a Source of Otherness from the international Journal of Cross Cultural Management” by Natalie Victoria Wilmot, Mary Viger, and Kristina Humonen explores how language shapes work places and societal structures based on common beliefs rather than expanding horizons and believing everyone is capable. The authors speak on how people judge others on the language they use on a day to day basis as well as how they speak. This leaves people with other ideas or ways of speaking feeling left out and placed into a separate group creating feelings of loneliness and incompetence. Language carries many truths and persuades all people, it creates new ideas, new opinions and ultimately leads to everything in the world positive and negative.
The article The Problems of Othering: Towards inclusiveness and Belonging, by John A. Powell and Stephen Menendian pushes to bridge othering and persuades readers to realize the emotional effects othering has on all people. Othering hurts people’s mental health and diminishes social structures as it separates people and doesn’t allow new ideas and experiences. Everyday systems have been built to separate people by what those creators believed was "correct" and it was molded into laws, institutions, and cultural norms making it difficult for people who don’t fit the norm to find their place in the world. Readers are pushed to rethink the structures of the society that others have built and commit to making everyone feel valued. Belonging is important for everyone to feel in order to grow as a society and to create equality among everyone.
The truth of the leaders who built these norms is completly different from today's people. Powell speaks on the past and how these peoples truths were important to them in their context and beliefs. If everyone had the same truth othering would not be an issue as not a single person would be different.
Searching for truth amoung all these opinions being constantly pushed upon us. When being raised you hear your parents truth and your whole family and for so long that entirely impacts your truth. As you get older more and more truths are introduced to you. The best thing is to listen to everyones opnions and their truths regardless if you agree or not. The more you hear the more you can determine what you truly agree with. All truths start as similarties with those around but they constaly grow and change.
Many sources will play on your emotion and use rhetoric to push their opinions and have less of what the don't beileve. Powell and Menendian use emotion to put a stop to othering and make all people come together. When sifiting through all these sources that play on emotion you have to take everything with a grain of salt whether the sources are postive or negative.
The article Is RTTL Legal?- Return to the Land by the RTTL organization is how the RTTL organization created this communiity around the law allowing it to be legal to have an all white community. The RTTL's goal is to have an entirely white/ european community to keep their culture and beliefs alive. The organization is strict on only allowing people with the same backgrounds into their community and worked around legal laws by meeting the criteria to classify them as a bona fide private club making them exempt from the Title II of the Civil Rights Act via the 42 U.S.C & 2000a(e) exemption. The criteria that is met includes social purpose and function, profit motive, selectivity, advertising, etc.
The RTTL has worked around laws in their favor in order to keep what the believe is their truth. In the text it states "Laws that prohibit discrimination against certain protected groups in public accommodations do not prevent private organizations from expelling members based on a protected status such as sexual orientation". The organization is classified as a private organization to allow selection of who they want to participate allowing this goal of theirs to be legal. The text also states "The PMA meets the criteria to be classified as a bona fide private club and to therefore be exempt from Title II of the Civil Rights Act via the 42 U.S.C. § 2000a(e) exemption". This shows by law they are a private organization allowing them to selwct who they want in their community and the rules they prefer.
Although the RTTL is trying keep their truth by keeping away from others truth, I don't beileve that it is the correct way to do so. Finding your truth in America may be hard as there is so many different people and beliefs but how does the RTTL organization truly know their truth and how do they know their children will want to believe the same things.
Bias is included in this source as the groups main goal is from a white americans point of view and only creating this community with people from the same backgrounds and the same beliefs. This aspect is not allowing any say from the majority being people with different religions and different ethnic backgrounds. The RTTL is using logos as it is logical to create a group of the same people when trying to keep their ideas solid and not have impact from the others around them. Ethos was also used as they studied the laws in order to create the group and have it be legal.
The RTTL Logo- Return to the Land by the RTTL organization. The article speaks on how their logo of the yggdrasil, the tree of life became to be and how the symbol shows the budding of their new community and goals. The maker of this symbol for the RTTL used overhogdal tapestries that depict Norse Pagan (Ásatrú) and Christian imagery that shows a communities gain and growth. The RTTL's symbol creater beileved that the tapestries and the meaning behind them reasonated with their goals and community.
The maker of the logo wanted to orginally create something to remeber the eclipse and the start if their ideas but brought it to leader and the symbol stuck. In the text it states "I am impressed by the members of RTTL and I believe that this idea, this seed, is being cast on prepared soil". The RTTL believes that this idea of theirs is a must and was already written in the stars and thats why he chose the tree of life. The also states "I took the top, the growth tip, to symbolize our budding project". The symbol chosen repersents their new project and the growth they hope to come from it. The symbol is a form of their truth and what the RTTL feels they need to do in todays society to keep their culture and beliefs alive.
The RTTL relates to the video “TUA #169- The LA Riots and Our Us v Them World” as they both believe that separting groups of the same backgrounds will remove chaos.
I disagree with both RTTL sources as I believe Americas culture is that everyone is different and the freedom we hold. Many people come to America to be free and experinance new things. The RTTL is trying to keep a box by wanting only their beliefs as learning comes from different people and aspects.