Why is persuasion an essential communication tool?

The art of persuasion is an essential part of rhetoric and good argument. There are different levels of communication. If you simply want basic information because you are in an unfamiliar location, that is one thing. In communication at higher levels you are often engaged in the process of sharing a point of view, and attempting to get others to share your point of view. Imagine how many aspects of modern business and commerce, local, national and international politics, education, the arts and every form of industry are dependent on intelligent people making persuasive arguments literally countless times each day.

It is critical to know how persuasive people craft their arguments, because there are many logical fallacies that can be powerfully used by brilliant masters of rhetoric and intentionally manipulated in order simply to persuade, without much regard for the intrinsic value of the argument. One would only have to look at the rhetorical brilliance of someone like Hitler to see that this can be true.