I identify with Kenneth Burke

If Aristotle gave us the structure of persuasion, Kenneth Burke gave us its subtext.

Writing in the mid-20th century, Burke pushed rhetoric beyond logic and emotion. He asked a deeper question: why do people align with some messages and reject others — even when the facts are clear?

His answer was identification.

We’re persuaded, Burke argued, when we see ourselves reflected in a message. When a brand, leader, or idea makes us feel understood — not just informed. Logos is important. But without shared language, values, or worldview, logic often fails to land.

For businesses, this changes the game. It’s not enough to be right. You have to resonate.

At P Score, Burke’s thinking is baked into our framework. We’ll look at his dramatistic pentad another time, but for now understand that we don’t just assess clarity or emotional tone — we look at audience fit, aspirational alignment, and cultural timing. We score identification. Because in a noisy, over-informed world, people don’t follow the best argument. They follow the voice that feels closest to their own.

Burke saw persuasion not as a transaction, but as a dance. A way of aligning symbols, stories, and selves. That’s as true in a B2B landing page as it is in a political speech.

And in that sense, he’s not just a theorist. He’s a strategist.