Reflection On Thank You For Arguing

Coming into this class I was not sure what to expect. I knew this class was going to be a challenge for me seeing as writing was never one of my strengths, but I came to this class with a desire and determined mind to learn what a college professor expects from a well-written paper. I believe I have learned some very effective ways to express my thoughts on paper while drawing from other sources to enhance my argument.

I am very pleased at the many strategies and tools I have learned throughout this course. I believe Thank You for Arguing was very essential in helping our class develop critical skills to appeal to our audience and improve our arguments. I learned how use various tools such as: practical wisdom, sympathy, values, and the persuadable moment.

One of the most valuable tools I learned from Thank You for Arguing was defined as the use of language unique to the audience or code grooming. We also practiced code grooming in class by rewriting “sandbox paragraphs”. I used code grooming in the last two assignments to have the appropriate tone to interest my audience. For example, in assignment three, I presented a youthful, sarcastic tone to make sure I held a college-aged audience’s attention. Another model of how I utilized code grooming was in assignment four. I presented a sympathetic, personal tone to appeal to my Grandma.
Before this class, I had never been asked to reflect on my own writing before. I was very intimidated by the thought of having to reflect on my paper for every assignment. But once I wrote my first reflection letter, I realized how much reflecting was actually helping me write my original paper of the assignment. The reflection letter was forcing me to examine and critique my own thoughts and use of sources. On many occasions, my reflection letter made me go back to my original paper and clear up some points that could potentially confuse my audience.
In my opinion, I used my sources most effectively in assignment three. I believe I used clear examples from Happiness Hypothesis to prove my argument that this book tricks you by appealing to your values perplexing for someone simply trying to find happiness. For example, in order to prove that Haidt is trying to “play you” or trick the audience, I pointed out how he quotes constantly from the Bible. I said, “Not only does he use this verse to introduce his hypothesis, but he also uses it to appeal to Christians. You could also say he is lying to the audience in some ways by supporting his arguments with religious references while he himself is an atheist. Why would he quote from religious beliefs that he doesn’t even hold himself? Simply to appeal to your values and trick you into believing everything he says.”
This class was definitely the first class in which I was challenged by having to write beyond the basic research paper and persuasive essay. This was also the first class in which I had to write a rhetorical analysis. Although this was not my best written paper of the class, I thought of this analysis as a stepping tool to write more in the future. The main reason this assignment really challenged me was because I was perplexed by the chapter I was writing on, which was Chapter One - The Divided Self. After receiving your feedback on that assignment, I felt a little better about the next assignment.
Another new genre of writing that was introduced to me during this class was a newspaper article. Before this class, I had read many newspaper articles, but I was never asked to write one - especially in the form of a book review. I knew I had to make a valid argument that would appeal to college students. Instead of lying, attempting to give false reasons on why I was intrigued by Happiness Hypothesis, I gave my honest opinion by stating that all this book did was confuse my outlook on happiness and how it can be achieved.
Our last assignment was also a new experience for me because I have never had to write a in such a personal manner to persuade someone to do something.

I believe I made a good argument by using the appropriate tools to appeal to her values and sympathize with her current situation. I feel as if I used Happiness Hypothesis in a way that would convince her that she can overcome adversity by quoting, “that many people, adversely made them stronger, better, and even happier than they would have been without it.” I also paraphrased from Happiness Hypothesis to convince Grandma that bringing happiness to others would bring more happiness into her own life. The final way I persuaded Grandma was with the use of code grooming as I explained earlier in this letter. A great example of my use of code grooming in assignment four was, “The book I just read, Happiness Hypothesis, taught me that people tend to grow stronger as they overcome sadness and tragedy.” Many of my classmates questioned why I would include the title of the book in my letter, but I know that my Grandma is always interested in what I am learning in school so I thought including the title would be a great way to apply the code grooming tool to my

paper.
Overall, I am pleased with have learned in the past three or so months. I believe I have learned the most important, basic points that are essential to a good paper. Most importantly, I have learned how to appeal to a variety of audiences and make an effective argument for every scenario. I would like to thank you for challenging me with the past four assignments. Although I was tested and stressed by certain readings and assignments, they were imperative for my growth in writing college-level papers.