Undoubtedly one of the most powerful drivers of human action and change is an effective pathos argument. You and I are emotional creatures, and when presented with a deeply moving story of suffering and pain, we are immediately inclined to do something to fix the problem. The Huff Post article quotes psycologist Paul Slovic: “When it comes to eliciting compassion, the identified individual victim, with a face and a name, has no peer...But the face need not even be human to motivate powerful intervention.” And so Blackfish presents us with the tragic story of one particular Orca, Tilikum. As the documentary unveils the sometimes unbelievably heartbreaking tale of gross mistreatment, the audience is struck with empathy and anger at the deepest part of their being. Instead of merely quotes facts and statistics about poor treatment in the hands of SeaWorld, Blackfish walks us through the shocking reality of pain that is the life of so many Orca Whales. The passions that stir within us upon watching the documentary are natural and good, and judging by the tremendous outcry raised against the theme park after the film aired, the appeal was successful. Our takeaway? Emotions are powerful; if you want an injustice to be remedied, the most efficient way to spur change is often to begin with a direct message to people's’ emotions.
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