Aristotle’s Art of Self-Persuasion — How to Use Ancient Rhetoric to Change Your Life

The Art of Manliness

Education, Philosophy, Society & Culture

4.7 • 14.5K Ratings

🗓️ 19 August 2025

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The ancient art of rhetoric has shaped political policies, influenced social movements, structured legal arguments, and molded cultural narratives throughout history. It's been used for three thousand years to persuade other people to change their lives.

But what if you could use it to persuade yourself?

My guest today says you can. Jay Heinrichs is the author of Aristotle's Guide to Self-Persuasion, and he explains how the same rhetorical techniques that great leaders and orators have used for millennia can be turned inward to help you change your life. We discuss how to identify your "soul" as your internal audience, use the concept of kairos to turn chaos into opportunity, create hyperbolic moonshot goals that inspire action even if you fall short, and employ ethos, pathos, and logos to achieve the habits and goals you aspire to. Along the way, we talk about how Jay used these self-leadership tools to go from barely being able to walk to attempting an athletic feat physiologists told him was impossible.

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0:33.3	Brett McKay here and welcome to another edition of the Art of Manliness podcast.
0:41.7	The ancient art of rhetoric has shaped political policies, influenced social movements,
0:45.8	structured legal arguments, and molded cultural narratives throughout history.
0:49.3	It's been used for 3,000 years to persuade other people to change their lives.
0:53.5	What if you could use it to
0:54.6	persuade yourself? My guest today says you can. Jay Heinrichs is the author of Aristotle's
1:00.2	Guide to Self- Persuasion, and he explains how the same rhetorical techniques that great leaders and
1:04.8	orators have used for millennia can be turned inward to help you change your life. We discuss
1:09.1	how to identify your soul like your internal audience, use the concept of
1:12.3	kairos to turn chaos into opportunity, create hyperbolic moonshot goals that inspire action
1:16.9	even if you fall short, and employ ethos, pathos, and logos to achieve the habits and
1:21.6	goals you aspire to.
1:23.2	Along the way, we talk about how Jay used these self-leadership tools to go from barely being
1:27.2	able to walk to the tempting athletic feet, physiologist told him was impossible.
1:31.8	After the show's over, check out our show notes at a.com.is.
1:34.3	Self-persuasion. All right, Jay Heinrichs, welcome back to the show.
	...

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