The copywriting secret Aristotle warned about
Why one wrong sentence can destroy years of credibility (and how to protect yourself)
VijayWrites #254
Welcome to VijayWrites, where you’ll find inspiration, tips, and ideas to help you write better, master the art of copywriting, and make a career out of your words.
Here's something that'll blow your mind: the persuasion techniques dominating social media today.
They're just variations of principles mastered 2,000 years ago.
While we're obsessing over growth hacks and conversion tricks, we're ignoring the people who literally invented persuasion.
Meet the OG copywriters:
Aristotle: Figured out the three pillars of persuasion (still used today)
Cicero: The master of timing and delivery
Quintilian: Understood psychology before psychology existed
These weren't just philosophers. They were practitioners whose words started wars, ended conflicts, and swayed entire populations. No A/B testing. No analytics. Just pure understanding of human nature.
This week, I'm sharing 5 of their insights that most modern writers completely miss. Starting with this one:
Your credibility expires faster than you think
Aristotle called it "ethos" - your credibility and authority. But here's what he understood that most writers miss: credibility isn't permanent. It expires.
You can spend months building authority, then destroy it with one careless statement.
I watched a respected marketing expert lose 50,000 followers overnight.
His crime?
One tweet where he confidently stated a "fact" that was easily disproven. Years of expertise - gone in minutes.
Aristotle knew this danger.
He called it "ethos throughout" - maintaining credibility from your first word to your last. Every sentence either builds or erodes your authority.
Modern implication: Your throwaway comments need fact-checking as much as your main points. Your credibility is only as strong as your weakest claim.
Tomorrow: The emotion you're NOT triggering (and why your feel-good content keeps getting ignored).