Narcissism can reveal itself in different ways among people. Sander Van Der Linden, a renowned author and researcher, interviews Dr. Seth Rosenthal on the topic of narcissism and writes an article, "Everything You've Always Wanted to Know about [sic] Narcissism", with his findings. Van Der Linden and Rosenthal begin their discussion with an explanation of the differences between trait narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) (Linden 9). Rosenthal explains how exactly to differentiate between a highly confident person and a narcissist via measurements on his Grandiosity Scale. For the remainder of the article, Van Der Linden and Rosenthal discuss the pros and cons of narcissism, the effects of narcissism, and the growing numbers of narcissists in the US (Van Den Linden 1-11). Although Van Der Linden and Rosenthal utilize all three of Aristotle's appeals to make their various arguments throughout the text, they used "ethos" most effectively through the clear presentation of authority.

The speakers' authority is clear from the beginning. Van Der Linden begins his interview by introducing Dr. Seth Rosenthal and showcases his qualifications. He proudly writes that Rosenthal received his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychopathology from Harvard University (Van Der Linden 1). This is an appeal to ethos as it is a commonly held belief that a Ph. D., especially from a prestigious school such as Harvard, is a tremendous accomplishment. For that matter, attaining any level degree from Harvard would give a person a certain level of authority, or situated ethos. Because the objective of ethos is to convince the reader that the rhetor is highly qualified, Van Der Linden begins this appeal to the audience right from the opening of his article. Not only does he highlight the qualifications of Rosenthal, but at the heading of the article, he states his full title- including the Ph. D. that he received. As the audience reads the title of the article, they become inherently more trusting of Van Der Linden. Soon after, they become trusting of Rosenthal because they trust in Van Der Linden. As mentioned previously, the words Ph.D. and Harvard are commonly associated with intelligent and successful people. For example, Sander Van Der Linden's title containing Ph. D. automatically creates trust between he and his audience. Doing so automatically makes him appear wiser than he would without the title. Before the audience knows anything about Van Den Linden, they trust him. For this reason, the title provides situated ethos. As the audience builds their trust with Van Der Linden, he introduces a man seemingly more qualified than himself. Not only does Rosenthal have a Ph. D. but he is also from Harvard. This is invented ethos as the audience knew nothing about Rosenthal until Van Der Linden introduces him and his qualifications.

Ethos is not the only appeal used throughout this article. Artistotle's other appeals, logos and pathos, are put into practice throughout the article as well. Pathos connects with ethos when Rosenthal speaks of how narcissism is seen as a lesser disorder than others. People tend to downplay narcissism as if it were not as serious as it is. He appeals to the empathy of the audience because prior to his statements downplaying the disorder, he calls attention to the effects that narcissism can have on people and their relationships. By empathizing with those suffering with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) or trait narcissism, Rosenthal urges his audience to empathize with them as well. He makes the point that narcissism is something that should be taken seriously as it is a serious problem that needs to be dealt with. For example, Rosenthal tells Van Der Linden that narcisstic qualities, especially when manifested in people with leadership positions can be dangerous. He informs the audience that the presence of these qualities, in combination with their large egos, "can be very destructive, both to their followers and institutions" (Van Der Linden 4). It is dangerous to have a leader who values their ego more than the people they are leading. This is where the Narcissistic Personality Inventory comes in. Pathos and ethos work together in the text as Rosenthal talks about Narcissistic Personality Inventory, or the measurement of the amount of narcissists in the world today. Because Rosenthal's discussion with Van Der Linden about the NPI in the world today is strictly factual, it would classify as the logos appeal. He tells his audience that the "average Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) scores have been rising since the 1980s, particularly among college students" (Van Der Linden 5). Facts such as these appeal to logos in that they are unemotional, unbiased, and support Rosenthal's argument that narcissism is becoming a larger problem in the world today and should not be overlooked. Facts such as these, also serve as ethos as they reveal that Rosenthal is a reliable rhetor and is knowledgeable about his subject. When rhetors show that they know their content, the audience becomes more trusting and more willing to hear their claims.

All of Aristotle's appeals surface themselves within this article. That being said, the ethos appeal appears most. The Carolina Rhetoric defines ethos as "the credibility of the speaker" ("Argument from Ethos" 109). Sander Van Der Linden and Dr. Seth Rosenthal show their credibility all throughout the text from the beginning, as they assure the audience of their qualifications, to the very end where Rosenthal proposes the Grandiosity Scale (Van Der Linden 9). Enhancing the ethos of their argument, Van Der Linden and Rosenthal provide evidence of intelligence, virtue, and goodwill just as the Carolina Rhetoric says a rhetor should ("Argument from Ethos" 109). Evidence of their intelligence is shown by their titles and college backgrounds as well as the facts thrown in sporadically throughout the article. The virtue of Van Der Linden and Rosenthal is shown as they empathize with those struggling with narcissism. Finally, their goodwill is shown as they show great interest in the effects of narcissism and the people suffering from it. Although pathos and logos connect with ethos throughout the text, ethos is the strongest of Aristotle's appeals displayed in "Everything You've Always Wanted to Know about [sic] Narcissism".

