I’m not sure how long this has been going on, but I learned how to do these things called “persuasive speeches” starting in middle school, and I’m 25 now. The point was to structure a speech in such a way that it appeals to the listener and encourages them to do what you want them to do.

Looking back on it, they basically filled our heads with rhetoric and programmed us to use it. I even persuaded my parents to buy me a RuneScape membership, among other things, using these newly acquired skills. No shame here, I just did not know any better back then.