Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Connor's Rhetorical Inputs Map IMG_1250 - Coggle Diagram
Connor's Rhetorical Inputs Map 
Family: My family has changed my rhetoric in my daily life and they have shaped me into who I am through so many different ways.
My older brother has allowed me to gain valuable advice. These experiences have been good and bad. I have learned what to prioritize in college and to be very determined and goal oriented.
My dad is a lawyer, so his rhetoric of being very logic-driven and little things like when me and my brother would get in arguments or make claims to my dad, he would always make us cite evidence to back up our claims. I think this practice has allowed me to think before I say things.
My mom is a preschool special education teacher. I think her kindness and nurturing personality have shaped my internal rhetoric because her calm and inviting demeanor towards others has made me be more patient with others and be more empathetic. I always remember she would use the cliche, "treat others how you would like to be treated", which is something I believe reflects in her daily life, and into mine as well.
Sports: Sports have shaped my rhetoric based on many different factors.
Growing up, athletes like Stephen Curry and Tom Brady have shaped myself and my identity, because the way they always competed and valued winning and team growth is something i always admired and tried to live by that.
I think commentators' choice of rhetoric when discussing players is an interesting way that I have been impacted. At the end of the day, an announcer can create biases of certain players in the league, which can shape our own thoughts. One of these players I noticed that commentators and media around sports like to use rhetoric to shape a narrative is LeBron James. I have seen they try to diminish his character because he likes to join "super teams."
Sports like basketball have shaped my identity by teaching me with basketball norms. Being a small player, I was pushed into a Point Guard role.
Point guards are supposed to have a high IQ.
Most point guards (race factors in as well) are told they are not needed for their athleticism, but for their mind and instincts.
Short players are "supposed to be" gritty and tough, so I think growing up, this shaped me into who I am.
Music: plays into my rhetoric.
Music can allow me to feel certain emotions and it can allow me to relate to others emotions.
Music has allowed me to create entertainment for various moods I have to make me feel better:
- Calm= Country/Morgan Wallen
- Excited/Confident= Drake
- Sad= Frank Ocean
- Deep thoughts= J Cole
Social Media:Social media is a massive impact on my rhetoric.
Earlier in my life, constantly comparing myself to others always had me chasing something that wasn't real. I realized that nobody is really showing their authentic self online, but instead, showing their best self that shows how great they are to others. This is a post that I posted on my Instagram a long time ago, but it is very funny because it was just me trying to fit in and seem cool.
Social media makes it harder for me to see what is true and what is not.
Politics:Politics are also a way I have seen people in my life come together and also grow apart.
I think politics and social media intertwine in my experience with rhetoric because coming across how divisive politics are on social media shows me that people are taught to be on one side or the other. I see this divisiveness mainly on Twitter or X.
Education: Education has shaped my life from an early age and has been a major part of my life from when I was very young to now.
In school, the friends you hang out with and the activities you do shape how others see you. The teachers saw me as the rule follower, but my friends saw me as the athletic kid who got dirty and always ran around at recess.
In elementary school, I was very quiet and always followed the rules. Teachers labeled me as the rule-follower, and this has become part of my identity and is still how I am perceived as a student.
I have always been a good writer, so teachers reinforcing my writing ability since I was little, has really given me the confidence to write and trust how well I write.
College has made me try to go out of my comfort zone more. College expects you to meet new people and party and have fun. I haven't been that type of person, and I am usually more introverted, but I have noticed myself trying to get away from that in order to fit in.