I recently got into an argument with a friend of mine. He did something to hurt my feelings and and I stopped talking to him for a while. He texted and called me constantly apologizing and trying to win my friendship back, but I did not know how easily I could just forgive him. The next day I received an email from the common's desk stating that I had a package and a bouquet of perishable flowers waiting for me. I was completely baffled and didn't know who would possibly send me flowers. When I picked up my flowers and candy I went to the room and read the card and realized that it was from the friend I was arguing with. Although the card said the same things that he was saying before when I wouldn't forgive him, the flowers changed my entire perspective and made it much easier for me to forgive him. The flowers were used to persuade me and positively modify the situation and cause me to forgive my friend. This is a perfect example of rhetorical exigence in everyday life.
I think what makes the flowers/candy so powerful to people is the effort involved. Today, it's easy to send a text or email, or even call someone quickly. But it takes time and effort to pick out, buy, and send even small gifts. In this case, I think the exigence was the fight, or your refusal to talk to him. By refusing to answer the friend, you made him realize that some sort of persuasion would be necessary to convince you to talk to him again. Then come the flowers/candy: the persuasion. And why is the persuasion effective? The effort required.
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