Rhetorical Time Travel
Magic Lessons From Jay Heinrich's Thank You For Arguing
Let's go!
Background
Aristotle, an ancient master of rhetorical magic, explores the three kinds of speeches: Forensic (examining past actions), Epideictic (establishes the moral qualities of someone in the present), Deliberative (considers future actions) But every speech has some sort of issue that it's addressing at its base.... Heinrich, the rhetorical wizard of the future, has tranformed Aristotle's 3 branches of oratory into 3 simple issues we can understand in everyday modern language - Blame (past tense) - Values (present tense) - Choice (future tense)
The framework is like a magic recipe!
How to Power Up Using Tense
Tense determines the type of argument. Each one of the tenses can have certain effects on our audience... - Blame- holds an accussatory tone; we look to blame almost instinctually oftentimes due to having been wronged; results in finding out who or what did something rather than why Effect level: low- Values- centers on praise or denouncement and divides people based on their beliefs (good/bad, right/wrong); results in people bonding or separating Effect level: low- Choices- holds a tone of hope, peace, and consideration; trying to figure out the best possible solution; results in a quicker solution to issue at hand; Our goal is to move the argument along in our favor, so choice is our best optionEffect level: HIGH
Shifting tense during an argument can either help or hurt your point!
Example:The couple
Alex: Can you turn that down a little? Charlie: You're the one who set the volume last. (BLAME) Alex: Well I wasn't the one blasting "Free Bird" earlier. Charlie: So that's what this is about. You hate my music. (VALUES) Switch to blame to future: Charlie: Is the music to loud or would you like me to play something else?
Keep it up!
Tips and Tricks!!
Orphan Annies Law: If you want to keep an argument from slipping into blame or values, shift it into future tense "Bet your bottom dollar/ That tommorow/ There'll be sun" -Little Orphan Annie - Annie can't prove the sun will come up tomorrow, she bets on a possible future. That's what delibertive rhetoric does, it focuses on what could happen, not who's at fault or who's right. - This mnemonic device helps us remember that deliberative rhetoric is where solutions live. It's not about debating the truth, but imagining possibilities and guiding the conversation toward action.
Start Quest
Heinrich also takes some inspiration from Cicero, another ancient master of rhetorical magic! Cicero found it essential to read the emotions and mood of the audience and adjust our rhetorical recipes or framework accordingly. We see this in how Heinrich works through switching tense depending on the issue at hand.
Cheer up!
Cheer up!
Cheer up!
Cheer up!
Open the treasure chest!
Congratulations!! You've officially become a wizard of Rhetorical Time Travel. We knew you could do it.
Rhetorical Time Travel
Victoria Bojorquez
Created on April 30, 2026
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Transcript
Rhetorical Time Travel
Magic Lessons From Jay Heinrich's Thank You For Arguing
Let's go!
Background
Aristotle, an ancient master of rhetorical magic, explores the three kinds of speeches: Forensic (examining past actions), Epideictic (establishes the moral qualities of someone in the present), Deliberative (considers future actions) But every speech has some sort of issue that it's addressing at its base.... Heinrich, the rhetorical wizard of the future, has tranformed Aristotle's 3 branches of oratory into 3 simple issues we can understand in everyday modern language - Blame (past tense) - Values (present tense) - Choice (future tense)
The framework is like a magic recipe!
How to Power Up Using Tense
Tense determines the type of argument. Each one of the tenses can have certain effects on our audience... - Blame- holds an accussatory tone; we look to blame almost instinctually oftentimes due to having been wronged; results in finding out who or what did something rather than why Effect level: low- Values- centers on praise or denouncement and divides people based on their beliefs (good/bad, right/wrong); results in people bonding or separating Effect level: low- Choices- holds a tone of hope, peace, and consideration; trying to figure out the best possible solution; results in a quicker solution to issue at hand; Our goal is to move the argument along in our favor, so choice is our best optionEffect level: HIGH
Shifting tense during an argument can either help or hurt your point!
Example:The couple
Alex: Can you turn that down a little? Charlie: You're the one who set the volume last. (BLAME) Alex: Well I wasn't the one blasting "Free Bird" earlier. Charlie: So that's what this is about. You hate my music. (VALUES) Switch to blame to future: Charlie: Is the music to loud or would you like me to play something else?
Keep it up!
Tips and Tricks!!
Orphan Annies Law: If you want to keep an argument from slipping into blame or values, shift it into future tense "Bet your bottom dollar/ That tommorow/ There'll be sun" -Little Orphan Annie - Annie can't prove the sun will come up tomorrow, she bets on a possible future. That's what delibertive rhetoric does, it focuses on what could happen, not who's at fault or who's right. - This mnemonic device helps us remember that deliberative rhetoric is where solutions live. It's not about debating the truth, but imagining possibilities and guiding the conversation toward action.
Start Quest
Heinrich also takes some inspiration from Cicero, another ancient master of rhetorical magic! Cicero found it essential to read the emotions and mood of the audience and adjust our rhetorical recipes or framework accordingly. We see this in how Heinrich works through switching tense depending on the issue at hand.
Cheer up!
Cheer up!
Cheer up!
Cheer up!
Open the treasure chest!
Congratulations!! You've officially become a wizard of Rhetorical Time Travel. We knew you could do it.