TOW #10 "Choose to Be Grateful. It Will Make You Happier" by Arthur Brooks

          In Arthur Brooks's popular piece for The New York Times, he begins to delve into his thematic purpose with a question asked to him by his Spanish in-laws on the topic of Thanksgiving: "Should you celebrate this holiday even if you do not feel grateful?" (para. 3). As this holiday is right around the corner, he brings up a very glazed over question that the American population seldom asks themselves. Through the combination of Brooks's use of statistics and his personal anecdotes he makes a strong argument that it is better to express gratitude even if it does not feel entirely genuine. Brooks simplifies the scientific explanation behind this logic and connects it back to something familiar to his readers: "According to research published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, gratitude stimulates the ventral tegmental area (part of out "reward circuitry that produces the sensation of pleasure) ... Choosing to focus on good things makes you feel better than choosing to focus on bad things. As my teenage kids would say, 'Thank you captain obvious,'" (para. 10). These statements prove the irrefutable reasoning behind what he is saying, while also keeping it simple enough that people without an extensive neuroscience background can relate to it.
           His thesis is made evident in the title he chooses; "Choose to Be Grateful. It Will Make You Happier."As the president of the American Enterprise Institute, who is also a regular Op-ed writer for such a reputable literary column as The New York Times, he is very credible by reputation which allows him to appeal to ethos. He is also appeal to logos and pathos in his piece, thanks to the employment of several device. The combination of all three appeals helps make an argument that is as appealing as it is convincing. Considering the level of academia of the average reader of The New York Times, it is pivotal that his argument has sound evidence, but is also nearly free of logical fallacies. If his audience was less intellectual, he might be able to "get away" with having less accurate information. Brooks brilliantly achieves his purpose, and proves that there is something to be said for being thankful, even when one does not necessarily feel much gratitude. In his conclusion, he proclaims, "This Thanksgiving, don't express gratitude only when you feel it. Give thanks especially when you don't feel it," (para. 22). He leaves his audience with something to think about, as well as a hopeful new state of mind.

I accessed this article on The New York Times website: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/opinion/sunday/choose-to-be-grateful-it-will-make-you-happier.html?action=click&contentCollection=International%20Arts&module=MostPopularFB&version=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article

This artwork was included with the article and I think that it depicts the idea of gratitude really well, as well as tying the element of a visual text into the meaning of the article.