"What's in a name?"
This question was famously asked in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The story has always struck me as ironic because the two star-crossed lovers attempt to prove that their given, family names do not mean as much as they are made out to mean. SPOILER ALERT: The irony comes in the fact that, in the end, the lovers' names end up costing their lives and proving that they are, indeed, quite important.
All of that to say, choosing a name for this blog was a hefty task in itself. While I realize that you may not be entirely interested about Professional Rhetoric's origin, I feel like this will give readers a clear lens through which to view the various posts.
As I began thinking about what all a blog's title was supposed to achieve, I quickly became overwhelmed. I wanted a name that would draw viewers to the site. I also wanted the name to be descriptive and essentially capture the aura of the site as a whole. On top of all that, it had to pass my personal satisfaction to the point that I would enjoy telling people about it and not tire of looking at it every day. Needless to say, my task was laid out and it seemed daunting.
After perusing several ideas (some of which were already taken and others that sounded much worse in the blog-o-sphere than they did in my head), I did what I would do in any situation where I did not like any of the options. I reevaluated my goals. I thought about what I wanted to achieve personally and the types of posts that would enable me to best achieve those goals. The word, "Professional" kept coming to mind.
My mother always told me that a professional was anyone who got paid to do something. From that definition, this blog title is definitely a far cry. But as a person who works to achieve and find fulfillment in my work, I believe that being a professional is more than a paycheck, but a way of life. Being a professional is about how you conduct yourself. Taking honest pride in your behavior, appearance, and etiquette is a key stepping stone to getting where you want to be. I truly believe that if you first take in to account how you act, it is much easier to adjust accordingly and achieve results.
Unfortunately, I didn't really like the idea of a blog called, "Professional." As you can see, there is not much of a ring to it. I then began to examine what a blog was actually designed to do and "Rhetoric" definitely encompasses that.
Rhetoric is most commonly seen as the art of discourse. Verbally or non-verbally attempting to persuade, inform, or motivate action out of an audience. I realize that my earlier post seemed quite selfish in my reasons for blogging. Those are still 100% true. However, if I were just writing to appease my own ambition, this would never be a public site.
I am writing because I want to offer something to others. If there is one person that can be impacted by this blog in the ways I have been, every second of thought and work that has gone into this little project is completely worth it. I believe that investing in others and being friendly enables us to see things from different points of view. The best way to find good advice and good people is to give good advice and be a good person. Please note that I am not trying to portray myself as some all-knowing guru at all. I am simply someone just like you. I am searching for ways to better myself and take as many with me as I can. To close, I want to thank you for taking this journey with me. I genuinely look forward to what we can achieve together. Until next time, stay classy.
-Andrew
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