Appeals to self-interest may be quite persuasive because they speak directly to what benefits you most, not necessarily what benefits others in the community, society, or world.

Instructions: 

Create the paraphrase of the passage below.  Remember, the paraphrase should change both the original words AND the sentence structure.  Imagine that you’re teaching me the concept–how would you explain it to me?  Be sure to include a signal phrase and parenthetical citation.

Original Text:

“Appeals to self-interest may be quite persuasive because they speak directly to what benefits you most, not necessarily what benefits others in the community, society, or world.  Such appeals are also common in advertising.  “You can save bundles by shopping at Maxi-Mart,” a commercial might claim, without making reference to third-world sweatshop labor conditions in the supply chain, the negative impact of global commerce, or other troublesome aspects of what you see only as great savings for yourself.”

Source:  From Critical Thinking to Argument by Sylvan Barnet, Hugo Bedau, and John O’Hara, page 141

(Note:  You may want to review the passage in the context of the rest of the chapter.  Reading the sentences before and after can help you paraphrase this passage even more successfully)