Inspirational Quotes on Persuasion

“People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive.”

“People are generally better persuaded by the reasons which they have themselves discovered than by those which have come into the mind of others.”

“I believe that any Christian who is qualified to write a good popular book on any science may do much more by that than by any direct apologetic work…. We can make people often attend to the Christian point of view for half an hour or so; but the moment they have gone away from our lecture or laid down our article, they are plunged back into a world where the opposite position is taken for granted…. What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects—with their Christianity latent. You can see this most easily if you look at it the other way around. Our faith is not very likely to be shaken by any book on Hinduism. But if whenever we read an elementary book on Geology, Botany, Politics, or Astronomy, we found that its implications were Hindu, that would shake us. It is not the books written in direct defense of Materialism that make the modern man a materialist; it is the materialistic assumptions in all the other books. In the same way, it is not books on Christianity that will really trouble him. But he would be troubled if, whenever he wanted a cheap popular introduction to some science, the best work on the market was always by a Christian.”

“It is the tendency of deep feeling to subdue the manner rather than to render it too energetic.”

“Heart language is logic set on fire.”

“Nonsense does not improve by being bellowed.”

“The key for any speaker is to establish his own point of view for the audience, so they can see the game through his eyes.”

“Descriptions all fall flat and tame unless the Holy Ghost fills them with life and power”

“I discovered that night (in his college's student politics) that an audience has a feel to it, and, in the parlance of the theater, that audience and I were together.”

“If we cannot prevail with men for God, we will at least endeavor to prevail with God for men.”

“When (an advocate) is not thoroughly acquainted with the real strength and weakness of his cause, he knows not where to choose the most impressive argument. When the mark is shrouded in obscurity, the only substitute for accuracy in the aim is in the multitude of the shafts.”

“The key to Lincoln's famous employment of humor is not that he failed to appreciate the tragic aspects of human existence, but rather that he felt these with such keeness that some relief was required.”

“Lewis at his best is about trying on ways of looking at the world.”

“A dash of humor will only add intense gravity to the proceedings, even as a flash of lightning only makes midnight dreariness all the more impressive.”

“The age can be impressed. Anything will be accepted by men if you will but preach it with tremendous enthusiasm, emotion, persuasionnergy and living earnestness.”